Have Mercy
by blackkisbackk
Summary: "I'll have Granger begging to be in my bed within the month. Mark my words." "Care to put your money where your mouth is?" At St. Mungo's, Draco meets Hermione, a new psychiatrist at his hospital. After being forced to work together on a battered woman, feelings develop, but things get complicated when Draco makes a dangerous bet. Non-magic AU. Also HP/GW.
1. Ginny

_A/N: Greetings! This is a non-magic AU. Draco and Hermione are doctors at the U.S. hospital of "St. Mungo's," and Ginny Weasley is a battered woman who is a patient of theirs. The story begins with the Ginny story and that plot line continues at different moments throughout, but this is primarily a Hermione/Draco story. _

_Warnings: This story is rated M for language, sexual content, and violence. There will be other warning scattered throughout the various chapters. _

_Anyway, let's get on with it!_

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><p><em>With every smile, with every tear<br>__Wherever I am, he will be near  
><em>_Sho'nuff as I'm standin' here  
><em>_I'm gonna make it._

_Whenever I'm right, whenever I'm wrong,  
><em>_Whenever the road gets too long  
><em>_I will carry on  
><em>_Cause I'm gonna make it._

_-Sanders Bohlke_

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><p><em><strong><span>Have Mercy<span>**  
><em>

**Chapter 1: Ginny**

"Miss Weasley," the blonde-haired doctor said when he entered the room. He was tall and handsome and had a small, warm smile on his face. His hair was so blonde that it was almost white, and his features were sharp and aristocratic. There were few lines on his face, and his skin looked to be just very lightly tanned from a normally very pale pigment. He had only a very slight air of arrogance about him that gave him jus the lightest of struts in each step he took, but the concern etched on his face for the patient before him was genuine. A nurse followed behind him, and it was clear from the look on her face that she was an experienced nurse. She was relatively young, perhaps in her mid-30s, but she had a serious look on her face as if she had seen a lot of cases come through this hospital and she was proud of that fact.

The doctor glanced at his clipboard and approached the patient. She did not say anything when he addressed her, but only continued to stare straight ahead. At first glance, she looked as if she had been either in a terrible car accident or severely beaten, but after a closer look, it became clear that it was the latter. Both of her eyes were blackened, and one was nearly swollen shut. She had bruises on her face, and her jaw was swollen right beneath her swollen lower lip. She was wearing a hospital gown but from what could be seen, she had bruises all down her arms and legs, including bruises shaped like finger marks on her biceps. She was wheezing slightly and had finger marks around her neck as well, indicating that she had been choked and perhaps received severe injuries to her windpipe. Underneath her bruises, however, the doctor could tell that she was pretty. She had long red hair, soft feminine features on her face—like her pink lips and lightly freckled skin—and gentle curves that made her just the type of prey for this kind of attack. She sat incredibly still and erect on the hospital bed with her legs crossed, a blanket draped over them, and her hands resting in her lap.

When the doctor approached her, she cringed lightly but still did not look at him. If not for that slight cringe, it well may have been that she didn't even notice the doctor and nurse enter. The nurse stood close by and the doctor began to speak to the patient softly. "Ginevra," he said quietly. He was careful not to touch her or invade her personal space, but he stood relatively close to her in order to make her feel at least a little more secure. "I'm Dr. Malfoy," the doctor said gently. "Can you tell me who brought you here?" he asked her. When she did not respond after a long pause, he continued. "Can you tell me who did this to you?" Again, she said nothing and continued to stare ahead, so he changed the subject for now. His voice was soft but not patronizing. "I'm going to examine you, is that okay?" She did not respond, but her eyes widened just ever so slightly. He continued, still quietly. "I'm going to do a few tests to make sure you're not bleeding internally. Then I'll do some other tests just to make sure that all of your physical injuries are only surface level, okay?" Still, she said nothing, and Dr. Malfoy raised his hands to move them to her body. When one of his hands touched her hospital gown, she flinched violently and moved as far away from him as she could while still remaining on the bed. For the first time, she looked up at him. Her eyes were wide, wild, and searching.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Ginevra," Dr. Malfoy said as he took one small step closer. "I just want to make sure you're okay." His words did not seem to soothe her, but despite that, she allowed him to begin his examination, though she remained very, very tense. Several more times, she winced, but she did not speak. While he pressed gently on her abdomen and listened to some internal sounds, he questioned her to check for head injuries, but he asked her slowly so he would not overwhelm her.

"Ginevra, do you know what year it is?" She said nothing. Her eyes were closed very tightly as he touched her, and it almost looked like she wanted to cry out. "Do you know who the president is?" Silence. He waited a few seconds before he continued, keeping his tone light. "Do you know where you are? Do you remember my name?" Nothing. After he had finished his initial examinations he determined that her lungs and heart were fine, and as far as he could tell without more thorough tests, she had no internal bleeding. The most serious thing Dr. Malfoy had revealed as of yet was a possible bruised windpipe and perhaps some head injuries. He could not yet determine whether these head injuries were physical or psychological, so he made no judgments yet. He would wait to run some tests and get a recommendation from some of his colleagues.

Dr. Malfoy gave Ginevra a light pat on the arm before he walked over to the nurse who was standing stationary behind them. If he hadn't known she was there, he probably would have forgotten altogether that she was in the room due to her complete silence during all of this. The nurse was incredibly professional when it came to the patients, especially patients in fragile situations such as these. He stepped close to her and her professionalism faltered only briefly as she blushed. Despite her hardening over the years, she found Dr. Malfoy attractive and charming just as almost every female and gay male in the hospital did. She couldn't help it. She was only human. As he whispered to her, she struggled to keep her cool, calm composure. "I want Neuro down here as soon as they can, and get me Psych, too." The nurse nodded. "After you call them, come back in here immediately. I want you to do a rape kit. I'll run some other tests later when she's feeling a little more up to it." The nurse nodded and exited the room quickly and obediently. From where he stood, Dr. Malfoy saw her pick up the phone and make the necessary calls from the nurse's station. He looked back at the patient and walked over to her. When he reached her, he sat on the side of her bed.

"I know it's no use asking because I can guess the answer, but… are you okay, Ginevra?" He asked her. For several seconds, she did not say anything, and Dr. Malfoy stared at her intently. She looked sad—very sad—but other than that, there was nearly no expression on her face. Even now, it was her eyes that betrayed her; her beautiful brown eyes that had the utmost sadness throughout them. He noticed that they were very watery, but she was not crying. As far as he knew, she had not cried since she got here. He assumed she was in shock. Finally, Ginevra turned her head slowly to face him, but she did not speak. Then, the nurse reentered the room.

"Doctor?" she called gently. He gave Ginevra a soft smile and stood up. When he reached the nurse, she said, "Someone from psych should be down here in just a minute. Neuro might take a little longer. And I've got everything for the rape kit." She watched his hand as it traveled up and rested on her shoulder. She blushed again, deeper this time.

"Thanks, Pansy," he said. She smiled. He turned back to the patient.

"Ginevra," he said gently as he walked over to her. "I know this is very, very difficult, but Nurse Pansy is going to perform a rape kit and provide you with some medications to stop any possible infections or diseases that the attack may have caused." The patient's eyes widened, and she looked utterly frightened. Dr. Malfoy approached her and put a soft hand on her shoulder. At first touch, she jumped slightly, but then she relaxed just a little. "I know it's hard," he said quietly. "But we need to help you." She looked at him, and when Pansy approached the two of them and Ginevra did not protest, Dr. Malfoy stepped away. After he smiled at her, Dr. Malfoy turned to walk out of the room.

"2011," came a very hoarse whisper. Dr. Malfoy stopped in his tracks and turned back around to face the hospital bed. The patient cleared her voice, but when she spoke again, her voice was still very hoarse and she spoke slowly. "It's 2011, and the president is Kingsley Shacklebolt. I'm…" She stopped momentarily and swallowed hard. "I'm at St. Mungo's, and…" She looked up at the doctor. "You're Dr. Malfoy." She looked absolutely exhausted, as if the effort to speak had been too much to bear. But then she spoke again. "Ginny," she said hoarsely. "I go by Ginny."

The doctor smiled at her and said, "It's nice to meet you Ginny. I'm Draco." Draco turned to leave, but Ginny spoke up again.

"I don't need a rape kit," she said.

Draco looked at her with concern. "Ginny, Nurse Pansy isn't going to hurt you. But we need to make sure that you're okay."

"I don't need a rape kit," Ginny said more firmly.

Draco gave her a long, regarding look, and he knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind.

"Okay, Ginny," Draco said as he withheld a sigh. "We'll be back in a bit. Try to relax."

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><p><em>Next chapter: Ginny has a visit from someone in the psych department.<em>


	2. Psych

_A/N: Big thanks to everyone who has reviewed and alerted so far! This chapter is a LOT longer than the first one. We meet more characters and we learn more about Ginny. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Psych<strong>

The moment that Draco stepped out of the hospital room that Ginny and Pansy still occupied, he bumped into an attractive, curly haired doctor with a large clipboard in her hands. She made a small "Oomph!" noise, and Draco reached out his hands to grab her arms and balance her. When she looked up at him with an apologetic smile and murmured her apologies, he folded his arms in front of him and tried not to notice how absolutely beautiful she was. Her hair was slightly wild looking as if she had just come from a car ride with her top down, but her hair had marvelous light brown curls that framed her face perfectly. She was wearing a blue blouse tucked into a grey pencil skirt underneath her white lab coat, and when Draco glanced down after bumping into her, he noticed her breasts peeking out from the top of her blouse. She was thin with curves in all the right places, and her face was exquisite. She had perfectly shaped eyebrows with round brown eyes staring at him from underneath long, black eyelashes. Her lips—

"Who are you?" Draco asked sharply before he let his mind get too carried away. The other doctor looked affronted, and when she opened her mouth to speak, he continued on. "Do you think you're going into that room?" he pointed a thumb behind his head. "Why?" He was being incredibly protective over his new patient.

Draco was in his fourth year of residency as a surgeon at St. Mungo's, and he was determined to make sure everything went smoothly. He didn't want any interns ruining anything.

"I'm Hermione Granger," the doctor said, extending a hand. Draco looked at her hand for a moment before he took it and shook it before pulling away quickly. Before he pulled away, however, he couldn't help but notice how soft the skin on her hand was. "I just got hired on in the psychiatric department here, and I'm here to observe Miss…" she glanced at her clipboard. "Ginevra Weasley. She seems to be an assault and apparent rape victim and she—"

"I know who she is," Draco interrupted. "She's my patient."

"Right," Hermione said with slightly red cheeks, clearly embarrassed. "Of course." With one quick look at Draco, she maneuvered her way around him and tried to go inside the room. Draco held out an arm to stop her, and she looked up at him.

"Wait until the nurse comes out," he said to her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She's just finishing up." At the moment, Pansy was asking Ginny a few personal questions about her medical history, which included her sexual history. It was common for rape victims to feel very ashamed of their sexual history no matter how miniscule it may have been, so for this, Draco stepped out of the room. He knew that Ginny claimed she wasn't raped, but he had advised Pansy to ask the questions anyway.

Hermione nodded and took a step back, watching the door tentatively.

"I'm Draco Malfoy," Draco said to Hermione after a few seconds of silence. He realized he had been incredibly rude, but he did not care too much. He was incredibly cynical of psychiatric doctors, but he knew that they were often a comfort to many of his patients, despite his own reservations.

"Nice to meet you, Draco," Hermione said, not looking away from the door.

"Sorry I snapped," he said, although he still sounded tense and not sorry at all. "Cases like these just get to me." Hermione nodded in understanding, and Draco turned to go tend to some of his other patients. He had walked several feet away from Hermione when he turned back. "Ginny," he said. "She goes by Ginny, not Ginevra." Hermione looked at him with a look that Draco labeled as curiosity.

"Thanks," she said. He gave her a small smile and turned away.

As he walked down the hall to check on his other patients, he thought about the woman he had just met. She had certainly been beautiful—nearly took his breath away with her beauty. _Stupid, though_, he thought to himself. _A rookie._ He could teach her a thing or two, he thought wickedly. Then he shook his head as if to snap himself out of it. When he turned the corner, he saw a tall, blonde doctor walking toward him. Foolishly, he turned around and tried to walk quickly to somewhere he could hide, but when he heard someone call out his name, he knew he'd been spotted.

"Trying to avoid me?" the blonde said when he turned back.

Draco laughed, but it was incredibly forced. "Of course not, Sonya, why would I avoid you? I just forgot my pen back in my patient's room, and I wanted to go back and get it. You know how the nurses love to steal pens." Sonya smiled but it was obvious that she was not going to be fooled so easily. She stepped close to him and put a hand on the collar of his white lab coat.

"I know you were trying to avoid me," she said quietly. "And I don't like to be avoided." Sonya was wearing dark red lipstick and her hair was styled to perfection. She was older than Draco by about five years, and for anyone she would have been a catch. She was sexy and successful, and completely wild in the bedroom. _Maybe a little _too_ wild._ "What?" she said, giving a sensually quizzical look. "You didn't have fun last night?"

Draco shook his head, recalling the night before when the two of them had been on duty. She had been flirting with him shamelessly for months, but last night had been their first sexual encounter. It had certainly been… memorable… At one point, she had nearly bit the lobe of his ear clean off. "Of course I did," he said with a smile. He tried to make the smile look seductive but he feared that it came off as a grimace due to the memory that had surfaced. Unconsciously, he reached up and tugged his ear lobe gently. The truth was that he'd had a bit of fun last night, but women like Sonya were too crazy to have more than once. Draco held in a sigh. Neither of them were looking for a commitment, but he certainly didn't think Sonya would let him off the hook with a one night stand.

"Fine," she said. "I'll see you tonight, then." She leaned in close. "But let's try a change of scenery. The beds in the on call room do nothing for my back." And before Draco could say anything, she walked away. Releasing a held in sigh, Draco went to the nurse's station that was a little ways ahead, and grabbed one of his patient files that was sitting on the counter.

Sonya was a piece of work. Draco thought about their encounter last night and just a moment ago while he flipped through the file he was holding. Everyone had warned him about her. _She's a handful, that Sonya_... _I still have the bruises from my night with Sonya_… _Sonya is a complete psychopath…_ Yes, everyone had warned him, but had he listened? Of course not. And now he was going to have to deal with the consequences. He nearly trembled at the thought.

_I'd much rather have a night with that Granger woman_, Draco thought to himself. Man, she was a sight to see. _Whatever_, he thought. He wasn't about to hook up with some stupid shrink who was probably a virgin and just as crazy as Sonya. Most women were. Some just hid it better than others.

"Please don't tell me you slept with Sonya," a voice interrupted his thoughts. Draco looked up to see a dark skinned doctor approaching him, apparently having witnessed his exchange with their colleague.

"Calm down, Blaise," Draco said after he glanced up at his friend and then took up the next one of his patient files after setting the other one down.

"That's a yes," Blaise said. "You know she's insane, right?"

"I do now!" Draco nearly shouted. "She's a complete lunatic. You should see the damn scratches she left on my back and the bite marks she left on my—"

"Okay," Blaise interrupted. "Enough." He picked up one of his own patient charts as Draco set his down.

"Well, I'm just saying," Draco said, rubbing his hands down his face. "I don't mind it a little rough once in a while, but good lord." When Draco looked up, he noticed a nurse sitting a few feet away that was blushing furiously. Draco rolled his eyes. Just when Blaise opened his mouth to respond, he was interrupted by a woman's voice.

"Draco," when Draco turned around, he noticed the nurse from Ginny's room staring at him. "Hi, Dr. Zabini," she said quickly. Blaise nodded at her. "Hey," she said, stepping closer to Draco in an attempt to block Blaise from their conversation. From the look on his face, Draco could tell that he could hear every word despite Pansy's attempt to shield him. "Do you work tonight?" Draco nodded. "Awesome, me too," she said with a smile. "Maybe we could—"

"Did you finish everything with Ginny?" Draco interrupted loudly, not wanting to give Blaise any ammunition, and from the look on Pansy's face, she had been about to give him a truckload. Blaise was covering his mouth in an attempt to hold back his mirth.

Pansy looked taken aback. "Er—yeah…" she said. "I just sent everything to the lab."

"Good," Draco said. "I'm going to go check on her."

"Oh, okay," Pansy said, looking confused and slightly hurt—if only or a moment. "Well," she gave him a seductive smile. "See you later, Draco."

Draco did not say anything as he turned and left. Not a moment later, he heard someone step in line with him and a voice spoke up. "Look what you've gotten yourself into," Blaise said gleefully.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Pansy and I happened ages ago," he said. "She just won't let it go."

"When was the last time you slept with her?"

"April."

"It's May."

Draco said nothing.

"Well, stick with Velmenesse," Blaise said, referring to Sonya by her surname. "She's way hotter than Parkinson, and she's got that dominating way about her." Draco rolled his eyes again and walked quickly back to Ginny's room.

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><p>Hermione stepped into Ginny Weasley's hospital room and shut the door softly behind her in an attempt not to frighten her. If Ginny was in fact raped like she appeared to be, any loud noises would trigger a reminder of her attack, something that Hermione did not want. At least, not right now. Hermione tried not to react when she saw the beaten and bruised woman in front of her. Her injuries were incredibly severe. The red-headed woman was staring straight ahead and seemed to not even notice when Hermione walked in.<p>

Hermione walked over to the side of Ginny's hospital bed, keeping her distance, but also standing close enough to her so she would know that her presence was not threat. For a while, neither woman said anything. Hermione knew that Ginny would not make the first move, but she also wanted to give the patient time to get used to the psychiatrist's presence so she would not see it as an invasion.

After nearly a full minute, Hermione finally spoke. "Hi, Ginny—I hope it's okay that I call you Ginny," she said conversationally. "Dr. Malfoy told me that you prefer Ginny to Ginevra." Hermione paused briefly and when she continued, she spoke slow enough to be comprehended, but fast enough to not seem condescending. "Well, Dr. Malfoy was worried about you, so he called me in. I'm Dr. Granger, but you can just call me Hermione if you'd like." Ginny did not respond, and Hermione shifted a little so that she could be more in Ginny's line of sight. "I know it's probably a silly question, but I just want to know how you're feeling. Are you okay?" Ginny didn't even react in the slightest. Hermione pressed on. "Obviously physically you're not okay, but I'm here about more than that. I'm sure you're feeling anxious and scared, and Ginny, that is perfectly natural. I'd be concerned if you weren't feeling that way." Hermione tilted her head slightly and tried to get Ginny to look at her. "Ginny?" she said softly. She took a step closer, and Ginny winced—the first sign that she even acknowledged the presence of the other woman. "It's all right, Ginny," Hermione said as she took another small step closer. Hermione glanced down at the tray that would normally occupy food. "Are you hungry at all, Ginny? Thirsty?" The patient continued to stare straight ahead and sit completely erect. Hermione's patience did not waiver in the slightest.

A moment later, Hermione walked over to the chair that was sitting on the opposite side of Ginny's bed and took a seat. She thought that Ginny might feel more comfortable if Hermione was not hovering over her so imposingly. They shared another few moments of silence before Hermione spoke again.

"Do you want to watch some television?" Hermione asked after nodding toward the TV in the corner of the room. Hermione reached for the remote that was on Ginny's end table, causing Ginny to flinch again. Hermione held up the remote as if to say, _It's okay… I'm just going to turn on the TV…_ and then she did so. Hermione figured that the more comfortable she could make Ginny feel, the more she would be willing to say something—anything.

"What channels do you normally watch?" Hermione asked, glancing over her shoulder at Ginny. When Ginny did not respond, Hermione turned back to face the TV and began flipping through. "They just got cable in the patient rooms, so…" Hermione said slightly distractedly as she flipped through channels. When she finally landed on one of her favorite channels, she turned the volume down so that Ginny could still hear it, but Hermione would be able to be heard if she chose to talk over it.

"I love this show," Hermione remarked. It was a popular dramedy about a man pretending to be psychic and solving police cases with his best friend. "Have you ever seen it?" Hermione looked at Ginny and was incredibly pleased to see Ginny looking up at the TV instead of at the wall in front of her. For a while, the two women sat in silence and watched the show in front of them. Several minutes into their viewing, Hermione felt eyes on her, and she glanced back at Ginny to see her staring intently at the television screen. Hermione eyes then traveled to the door, and she saw Dr. Malfoy staring at her through the glass pane of the door. He was giving her a look as if to say, _What the hell are you doing?_ And Hermione returned the look with one of her own that said, _Don't worry about it._ Malfoy shook his head and started pacing in front of the door.

Another several minutes passed before Hermione spoke again. Dr. Malfoy had stopped pacing in front of the door likely because he had to go see other patients. Hermione thought the young doctor to be incredibly rude and arrogant, but she tried to ignore it as she focused on her patient.

"Ginny, are you feeling up to eating? I could have one of the nurses bring you something to eat," Hermione said. Hermione waited patiently, and after several seconds, Ginny nodded her head ever so slightly. So slight was her nod that if Hermione hadn't been eyeing her so intently, she may have missed it. Hermione smiled broadly but tried to hide her excitement that the patient was beginning to feel even a tinge more comfortable with her. Ginny was one of her first real patients since been hired on at St. Mungo's just a few days ago, and Hermione was determined to be successful.

Hermione exited the room only briefly in order to tell the nurses to bring a plate to Ginny's room, but when she came back, the sight she saw astounded her. Ginny seemed worlds more relaxed. It wasn't much, but compared to how she had been before, the slight slouch she had now positioned herself in was an enormous triumph.

A while later, Ginny was halfway through her food and a new episode of the show they had been watching had just begun when Hermione decided to push Ginny a bit further. Hermione noticed that Dr. Malfoy had resumed his position outside the room and was pacing once more.

"Are you feeling a little better, Ginny?" Hermione asked her patient. Ginny nodded. "How's your food?" Hermione asked, not expecting an answer. So, when Ginny spoke, Hermione nearly had to hold in a scream of excitement for her patient. It was a great feeling to watch a patient begin to feel even a little better.

"Well, it's hospital food," Ginny said quietly, her voice raspy. "So, not that great." Hermione laughed gently and nodded.

"I understand," Hermione said. After another long silence with the TV playing in the background, Hermione spoke again. "Ginny…" she said slowly. "Do you want to talk about the attack?" Almost immediately, Ginny's mood changed. A shadow seemed to pass over her face and she visibly tensed. Hermione acquiesced. "We don't have to talk about it," Hermione said softly. "Only if you want to… If it will make you feel better."

As if she had lost her appetite, Ginny pushed her food away from her, laid back, and turned over on her side so that her back was to Hermione. Hermione waited in silence. When Ginny said nothing, Hermione decided to give her some time alone. She placed the television remote on Ginny's end table where it had been originally so Ginny could operate the channels if she wanted to. After she did this, Hermione exited Ginny's room slowly, and was nearly bombarded the moment she closed the door.

"What the fuck were you doing in there?" Draco hissed at her as he approached her swiftly and towered over her, staring down at her menacingly. "Catching up on your favorite TV shows? You're supposed to be helping her."

"I _am_ helping her," Hermione shot back. "She's not going to open up to me about the attack until she feels safe and comfortable around me, and that's what I was trying to do." Hermione took a step forward in an attempt to match Draco's ferocity. "And in case you forgot, _you_ called _me_ down here, which means you obviously thought she could benefit from my services—"

"Yeah, that was before I thought you were going to use your time with her to utilize some patient cable!" Draco's voice was rising, and a few people at the nurses' station glanced in their direction.

"I told you, I—" Hermione suddenly stopped and shook her head. "I don't have to explain my methods to you." Draco opened his mouth to rebut, but Hermione continued. "I want her transferred up to psych," Hermione said firmly. Draco tried to protest, but again, Hermione continued on. "Look, there are a few types of rape victims. There are the action victims who basically become detectives for their own case. They hire private investigators and take all the steps necessary to capture their attacker. They want justice. There are the denial victims, who go home after the rape and pretend like nothing ever happened. They go back to work, eat out with friends, and live their lives as if nothing out of the ordinary is going on. These are often the patients that refuse a rape kit and refuse to testify if their attacker is ever caught. Then there are also those like Ginny who let the attack fester inside of them like a cancer until it eventually eats away at them and can cause a complete mental breakdown." Hermione paused only very briefly as if daring Draco to interrupt her. He didn't. "Obviously you care about this patient," Hermione said, her toning relaxing just a bit. "And if you do, you'll do what's best for her and have her transferred to psych after you run more tests. That way I can keep a watch on her and try to get her to open up more until we get the results back."

Draco looked like he was fighting a severe internal battle. He knew Granger was right—that much was clear. But he didn't want to give in to her demands even though he knew that was what was best for the patient. Finally, Draco narrowed his eyes, turned on his heel and walked down the hall, most likely in order to get everything ready for Ginny's transfer. Hermione could not help but smile at her small victory. He may have been handsome, but Hermione was not about to let some arrogant ass stop her from helping his patient—well, she was her patient now.

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><p>Draco fumed as he prepared the rooms for the tests he wanted to run on Ginny. Who the hell did that shrink think she was? She had some nerve to tell him off about <em>his<em> patient, as if _she_ knew what was best for Ginny. She didn't. Well, maybe she did. But Draco wasn't about to admit that. In fact, the only reason he hadn't launched into an attack on her credentials, ability, and the balls she had to tell him off was because he knew that he would only cause a scene. The nurses and a few other doctors had already been giving them stares, and the last thing he wanted was for Ginny to overhear. So instead, he resorted to huffing, puffing, sighing, and grunting as he thought of his argument with Granger while he continued to prep for Ginny's tests.

Meanwhile, Hermione had reentered Ginny's room, and after closing the door behind her softly, she nearly screamed when she heard Ginny's voice.

"You don't like Dr. Malfoy much, do you?"

Hermione walked to Ginny's bedside and smiled down at her. "I don't really know him, but you're right," Hermione said, always one to be honest with her patients. "I don't like him very much." Not wanting Ginny to think ill of him, she went on. "But he's a good doctor and he cares about his patients, and for that, I have the utmost respect for him." Ginny nodded, but did not respond. "Well," Hermione said with a soft sigh. "Dr. Malfoy is going to run some scans to make sure you're okay, and then we're going to move you up to my unit so I can keep a better eye on you. We'll wait for your test results, and then you, Dr. Malfoy, and I will go over them together, and then we'll see where you go from there. Does all of that sound okay?"

When Ginny nodded, Hermione waved the nurse in who she had advised to wait outside until she went over everything with Ginny. The older, slightly tired looking gentleman brought a wheel chair in when he came inside the room and smiled merrily at Ginny.

"Ginny, this is Remus—"

"Hello ma'am," Remus said kindly. Remus was one of the nurse's from the psychiatric ward of the hospital that Hermione had taken a particular liking to since she had arrived. He was funny and kind, and he was one of the few people who had made Hermione feel welcomed unconditionally. He was a gruff-looking, middle-aged man who had been working at the hospital for a little over two decades. He had soft eyes but masculine features that showed that he was probably more handsome in his youth, but that the hospital had worn him down over the years.

"Remus is going to take you to get your scans, and then he's going to take you upstairs," Hermione said. Ginny looked nervous.

"Will… will you be there, too?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione smiled. "Dr. Malfoy will be with you for your scans, and as soon as he's done running tests, I'll meet you in your new room, okay?" Ginny relaxed a very small amount.

"Where is your unit?" she asked Hermione.

"Just a few floors up," Hermione said with a smile. To Hermione's great delight, Ginny returned the smile.

* * *

><p>"You have no right to move her upstairs," Dr. Malfoy said as he was looking at the screens in front of him. Hermione was standing behind him with her arms crossed in front of her chest.<p>

"You called _me_, remember? Obviously you thought there was something I could do for her."

"I also called Neuro."

"There's nothing neurologically wrong with her and you know that," Hermione said with an eye roll.

"You don't know that. She was beat up pretty badly. She could have some head trauma—"

"Well from the looks of these scans she obviously doesn't," Hermione interrupted.

"What about the rape kit? She hasn't done it yet."

"You know I _did_ go to med school."

Malfoy scoffed.

Hermione gave him a dirty look and wanted to punch him in the back of his blonde head. Instead, she leaned forward and pressed the intercom so she could talk to Ginny. Ginny jumped at the sound of Hermione's voice.

"Ginny, you're all done. Remus is going to take you upstairs now," Hermione said gently. She then stepped out to wave Remus in before coming back in the room and putting her hands on her hips in front of Malfoy. "You know all you surgeons are alike. You think less of people who don't cut. Well, you know what, _cutting_ isn't going to help _this_ patient. I'm trying to do what's best for her, and I don't care how that makes you feel." With that, Hermione spun around and went in the direction of her unit. She was standing, waiting for the elevator, when Malfoy came up beside her. Hermione did not look at him.

"I'm trying to do what's best for the patient, too," he said angrily.

"Oh, are you?" Hermione said, turning toward him. "Because it seems to me like you just don't want to give her up." Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Draco was taken aback by the question. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times before he shrugged. "I don't know. No—" he looked at Hermione. "I don't owe you an explanation. See you," he said before turning around and leaving.

"Yeah, see you!" Hermione couldn't help but call after him angrily.

As soon as the elevator arrived and Hermione stepped in, she let out a frustrated grunt. She didn't know why she was letting Malfoy get under her skin so much, but he was. It was only her third day on the job at St. Mungo's and she had had it up to here with know-it-all surgeons already. She had transferred from a hospital across the country where she had done her psychiatric residency when she got offered the job at St. Mungo's. It was a prestigious hospital with a great reputation for patient care, and she had been so excited when she'd moved. A new place, a great hospital, a fresh start—but ever since she'd gotten here, all she had dealt with was doctors just like Malfoy. She'd had enough.

The elevator dinged and came to a halt. Hermione took a long, deep breath and stepped out of the elevator. She wouldn't let this thing with Malfoy bother her any longer. She needed to focus on her patient. Ginny needed her.

Finally, Hermione made it up to Ginny's room to find her laying on her side again, but Hermione happily observed that the television was on in the background, playing the same show she and Ginny had been watching downstairs. When Hermione entered the room and sat beside Ginny, Ginny spoke up, although her back remained to Hermione.

"Psychiatrics," Ginny said.

Hermione withheld a sigh. She knew exactly what Ginny was thinking. "Yes. My unit is psychiatrics."

"I'm not crazy," Ginny said sharply.

"Of course not—"

"I was—just—" Ginny spoke loudly but she couldn't seem to get out what she wanted to say.

"I know, Ginny."

"So why did you bring me up here?"

"I thought you might like to talk about it in a safe place," Hermione answered softly.

"It doesn't feel like a safe place," Ginny said quietly.

"Ginny, I—"

Suddenly the door to Ginny's room burst open, causing both Ginny and Hermione to jump.

"Ginny!" A red-headed man came barreling into the room and Hermione stood up quickly.

"Sir—"

The man looked frantically around the room and when he saw Ginny lying in the bed, he ran to her. "Oh, god, Ginny—thank god you're all right!" He rushed to her and embraced her, and Ginny winced violently. The man did not seem to notice, but instead kept on holding her tightly.

"Excuse me," Hermione said to the man. "Sir, you can't be in here. This is a closed ward—immediate family only."

"She's my sister," the man said. He looked up but still did not let go of Ginny. She was so stiff in his arms. Hermione should have known it was a brother. Their flaming red hair was identical.

"Okay, well, her injuries are pretty severe so you might want to quit clutching her like that," Hermione said. She couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Oh…" he said as if he had no idea. Then he released her gently and took a step back. He then took Ginny's hand in his. "Where is he, Ginny?"

Ginny didn't say anything, and Hermione listened intently, still standing off to the side of them. _Where was who?_

"I'll kill him when I find him—where is he?"

Again, Ginny said nothing, and Hermione almost spoke up. _How could she possibly know where her attacker was?_ She wanted to ask Ginny's brother. The man looked like he wanted to shake Ginny. He got close to her face.

"WHERE IS HE? WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS PROTECTING HIM? Letting him—" The man's voice broke and although he looked down, Hermione knew he was crying. Attacks like this were always difficult on the family members. It was so hard to make them understand. But what did he mean when he said Ginny was protecting him—did she know her attacker?

Hermione stepped forward.

"Ginny—"

"Ron," Ginny said at the same time. Hermione let her speak. Her brother—Ron—looked up at Ginny. They looked at each other for several seconds before either of them spoke. Ron was the first to speak. He reached up and touched one of the bruises on her face. Ginny winced.

"Why do you let him do this to you?"

Ginny looked at him for a long moment before she responded.

"I… I don't know. I love him." Hermione noticed that Ginny sounded very unsure when she said it.

"Do you? How?" Ron said incredulously. "How can you love someone who treats you this way?"

"He didn't always treat me this way," Ginny said hoarsely. "He's just been really messed up ever since... what happened last year."

"And he's taking that out on you."

"No. Not always. Sometimes he just gets scared and upset, and he—"

"Beats the hell out of you!" Ron finished for her. "This isn't the first time, and it won't be the last until you do something about it."

"Ron, can you just…" Ginny pulled her hand out of Ron's grip and turned over, now facing the direction where Hermione was currently standing. Hermione noticed that Ginny winced in pain when she did so.

Ron looked pained, and Hermione walked over to him.

"Mr. – Weasley?" Hermione said. He nodded. "Would you mind stepping outside with me for a moment?" He nodded glumly.

As soon as they were outside, Hermione began speaking softly. "I'm Dr. Granger," she said, extending her hand.

"Ron Weasley," he said, looking up at her and returning the gesture. He looked miserable.

"Your sister has suffered some very serious injuries do to a severe assault. If you know who—"

"Oh, I know who it was," Ron said as he looked away, his face distorting in anger. "It was that… filthy… bastard," Ron spat.

"Who, Mr. Weasley?" Hermione asked gently.

Ron looked back at her. "It was her husband, Michael," he said venomously. "Michael Corner."

* * *

><p>Next Chapter: Hermione and Ginny discuss the attack.<p> 


	3. The Husband

**Chapter 3**: **The Husband**

Hermione rushed down to the surgical floor that Malfoy worked on as soon as she left Ron Weasley. She had told him she would be back in just a moment, and then she had left in a flash. As she made it down to his floor, she noticed that he was talking to a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes to match. Hermione knew he was probably a patient or someone's family, but she didn't care. She had to warn him in case the husband came looking for Ginny. As soon as she reached Malfoy, she yanked him around.

"It was the husband."

Malfoy clenched his jaw and looked down at her angrily. "What?"

Hermione spoke in a quick, hushed voice. "The _husband_," she said. "Ginny—it was the husband—he's the one who did that to her."

Without responding, Malfoy turned back around, pulled his fist back, and punched the man he had previously been talking to right in the jaw. The man immediately stumbled and fell back. Hermione screamed and covered her mouth as many nurses and doctors began reacting all around them.

"Mal—"

"Meet Michael Corner," Malfoy said as he turned back to Hermione and massaged his knuckles. "Ginny's husband."

* * *

><p>Hermione shook her head as she walked with Malfoy up to Psychiatrics. He was flexing his fingers as they walked.<p>

"You shouldn't have punched him," Hermione said.

"You should have heard that sob story he was feeding me—_my wife! My wife!_—I almost felt bad for him."

"You're going to get in trouble," Hermione said, shaking her head again.

"It will be worth it."

When they finally made it up to Ginny's room, Ron was still there, and he was sitting in the chair that Hermione had previously occupied. It looked as if he and Ginny had been talking, and when the doctors walked in, Ron looked up at them.

"Ron, this is Dr. Malfoy. He was looking after Ginny's injuries before she was moved up here," Hermione said.

Ron stood up and extended his hand. "Ron Weasley," he said. Malfoy took Ron's hand and nodded, and Ron took his seat again.

Hermione walked over to Ginny and looked down at her. Ginny, who was laying on her side in the exact position Hermione had left her, stared straight ahead. "Ginny, your husband came by—"

Ginny's face lit up as she looked up at Hermione hopefully. "Michael?"

Ron leapt from his chair. "Where is he? I'll kill him—" he rushed toward the door but Malfoy blocked his exit.

"He has been taken off the premises and taken to the police station for—"

"I'm not pressing charges," Ginny said quickly.

Ron turned to Ginny angrily. "You have to be kidding! Look at you!"

"He's my husband, Ron."

"Can I have a moment alone with Ginny?" Hermione looked between Malfoy and Ron. Malfoy still hadn't said anything since he and Hermione had come in the room. Ron looked like he wanted to protest, but after a firm hand on the shoulder from Malfoy, he turned and left the room. As soon as Hermione saw Ron and Malfoy talking outside the door, she sat down in her seat across from Ginny. Ginny had the blank look on her face again.

"Ginny?"

"I'm not pressing charges," Ginny said without looking at Hermione.

"I don't want to talk about that," Hermione said gently. After a pause, Hermione spoke again. "Ginny, this isn't the first time this has happened." It wasn't a question.

Ginny did not respond.

"You said earlier that he's been… messed up ever since last year… what happened last year?"

Ginny sighed, and Hermione noticed the look of defeat cross her features. "He, uh…," Ginny paused. "He shot a kid."

Hermione's eyes widened only slightly. "Why?"

Ginny closed her eyes. "He's a police detective. He works gangs and narcotics, and last year it just… I told him I didn't want him to do it, but he said he had to. He was just promoted to special operations… said he had to…"

"Then what happened?" Hermione asked.

"There was going to be a big bust—this gang they've been trying to get for years, but something went wrong and his team wasn't prepared for it. A lot of people ended up dying that night, including two men from Michael's team. Michael said he didn't know how many people were hit by his bullets, but… he knew one hit that kid. He said… He said he saw him go down."

"And ever since then…?"

"It was hard on him. He felt guilty—said he could have stopped it somehow, but—" Ginny looked up at Hermione and Hermione noticed the look of desperation on her face. "There was no way he could have stopped it. The kid wasn't supposed to be there. He didn't know."

Hermione nodded. "And now?"

Ginny looked away from Hermione again. "He just… He has visions—dreams… He remembers and he gets… angry," she finished quietly.

"Angry at you?"

Ginny didn't respond at first, and when Hermione thought she wouldn't, she opened her mouth to speak again, but when she did, Ginny spoke. "I'm not always the best wife."

"Ginny—"

"No, he needs someone who understands what he went through, and I can't. Sometimes I… Sometimes I do things that I shouldn't. I push him too much, or I ask too many questions, or I burden him with… problems. He's just… He's sensitive. And he needs more time to heal, and I have to understand that."

"Ginny—" Hermione tried again, but Ginny went on.

"I cheated on him," Ginny said quickly. Hermione closed her mouth and waited for Ginny to speak. Hermione could tell that she needed to say this—needed to get it off her chest. "A little bit after it first happened was when he first hit me. I didn't know what to do. I went to talk to one of my old friends… well, he was an old boyfriend from college… Dean… I shouldn't have gone to him, but I didn't want to go to my brothers… I—I needed someone to talk to and Dean was so kind and gentle. But… Michael found out. That was the first time he sent me to the hospital."

"And you didn't report him?"

"It was my fault."

"Ginny," Hermione placed a hand on her arm. "No matter what you do or say to your husband he has no right to hurt you this way. You understand that, don't you?" Ginny didn't respond so Hermione went on. "I understand what it's like coming back from something like that. I've had many patients who have been police officers. I have many patients whose wives cheat on them. I know it's extremely difficult, but he shouldn't be taking that out on you. He should be talking to someone—someone who can help him."

"Someone like you?" Ginny asked, looking at Hermione for only the second time since she'd reentered the room. Hermione noticed the anger in her voice. "A shrink to think he's crazy and prescribe him pills?"

"Someone to talk to him," Hermione said. Ginny looked away again and there was a long silence. Eventually, Hermione spoke again. "Did he ever hit you before that?" Ginny shook her head. "But since then… this happens often?" Ginny didn't respond immediately, and Hermione waited for an answer. She needed Ginny to voice it. She needed Ginny to say it out loud so she couldn't deny it to herself—so she could face what was happening to her and realize that it wasn't okay. Finally, Ginny nodded.

"Yes."

"How many times?"

"I—"

"How many times?" Hermione said more firmly.

"I don't know," Ginny said quietly. "He… he hits me maybe once a week… But it's only been this bad… two… maybe three times."

Hermione had to hide her reaction. _Three times_! Three times her husband had hospitalized her or beat her so badly that she should have been hospitalized. He hit her once a week, and he had hurt her this badly three times in less than a year, and she never turned him in. Hermione had seen many cases of domestic violence, and although this wasn't the worst one, it was nearing the danger zone. Of course, all domestic violence was horrific, but there was some that… Well, there was some that ended in death.

"Ginny," Hermione began slowly. She needed Ginny to voice it. All of it. She needed her to hear it. "What did he do to you?"

Ginny didn't say anything, and Hermione asked again.

"What did he do, Ginny?"

Again, Ginny was silent, but Hermione noticed that her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Did he slap you?" Hermione asked. Ginny didn't respond. "Did he push you?" Silence. "Did he punch you? Knock you to the ground?" Hermione paused but Ginny didn't say anything. "Did he kick you?"

"Stop," Ginny said hoarsely.

"Did he choke you?" Hermione had noticed the finger marks on her neck. "Did he knock you into the wall? Drag you by your hair?"

"Stop," Ginny said, a bit louder this time.

"Did he tell you he would kill you?" Hermione paused. "Did you think he would?"

"STOP!" Ginny screamed. "Stop! Stop! St—" Ginny's voice broke and she was reduced to sobs. She turned her face into her pillow and sobbed. Hermione felt bad for pushing her, but she needed Ginny to hear it. A moment later, Ron came bursting into the room for the second time.

"Gin—" When he saw her sobbing into her pillow he walked to the side of her bed so that Ginny was blocked from Hermione's view. Ron leaned into Ginny and whispered words of comfort to her that Hermione could not hear. Hermione looked up and saw Malfoy standing in the doorway holding a file. With a look at Ginny and Ron, Hermione got up and met Malfoy in the hallway.

"What happened?" he asked immediately.

"Nothing," Hermione said. The last thing he needed was more ammunition to look down on her profession. "She's upset about what happened. What's in the file?"

"The results of the scans. I ordered a rush on them."

"And?"

"It's bad, but it's not awful. Her trachea is a bit crushed, but it will heal naturally on its own. She has a broken cheekbone that needs to be stitched up and taken care of. Other than that, she has a few cracked ribs and her wrist is mildly fractured."

Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I've seen worse."

Malfoy nodded. "So've I."

"But she can't just go back. She won't press charges, so they'll be back together soon."

Malfoy shook his head. "I know it's bad, but there's nothing we can do. I can try to keep her in the hospital as long as possible, but other than that, she will have to go home eventually, yes."

Hermione ran her hand down her face and sighed again. "Okay," she said. "Let's get the brother out of here, fix her up, and let her get some rest. I'll try to talk to her more in the morning."

"He won't leave," Malfoy said. "I've already tried to convince him."

"I won't be able to talk to her with him here," Hermione said.

"Maybe she'll tell him to leave," Malfoy said hopefully. Hermione shrugged and turned back to go into the room again. She paused and turned back to Malfoy.

"I still want to do a rape kit," Hermione said to him.

"Why?" Malfoy said confusedly.

"Husbands rape their wives," Hermione said, creasing her brow as if daring Malfoy to challenge her.

"Yes, but I don't think that happened in this case," Malfoy said. "I can usually tell when domestic violence victims are also rape victims. Ginny… She loves him too much." Hermione didn't know if that part was exactly true. She remembered how Ginny told her she'd cheated. There was something there. Something that Hermione could tap into to let Ginny know that she didn't love her husband enough to protect him. "If there was intercourse involved," Malfoy was saying. "I'm almost positive it wasn't forced. And even if it was, she wouldn't say it was." Hermione wanted to interject, but Malfoy continued. "Look, I'm all for preventing marital rape, but I'm not for wasting hospital resources when the victim most likely wasn't raped and will certainly deny it even if she was. It would be best if you just talked it out of her."

Hermione shook her head. "I won't be able to. There's no way we'll be able to keep her longer than two more days, and that's not enough time."

Malfoy smirked. "I guess you'd better get to work then."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but before she could, he shoved the file in her arms and walked down the hall. _Insufferable ass_, Hermione thought to herself as she watched him walk away.

* * *

><p>When Hermione walked back into Ginny's room, Ron was standing in the corner looking stormily out the window, and Ginny was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling but no longer crying.<p>

"Ginny?" Hermione said although her eyes were going back and forth between Ginny and Ron.

"I've asked Ron to leave," Ginny said flatly.

"I'm not leaving," Ron said.

Hermione looked back and forth between them. "Ron, can I speak with you outside?" she asked.

Ron clenched his jaw, but obliged, following Hermione outside.

"I know you're worried about your sister, but she's in good hands here. If she wants you to leave, you should leave."

"She only wants me to leave so that I'm not here when _he_ comes," Ron said angrily.

"I'll try to talk to her," Hermione said. "But I can't do that if anyone is around to interfere." When Ron still didn't look convinced, Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried," she said. "But I promise you it's better this way. If I'm going to have any chance of helping her, I can't have any distractions."

After a moment, Ron nodded. "Well," he said. "As soon as I tell the rest of the family, they'll want to come and see her… I've got four brothers, plus my parents who will want to see her."

Hermione gaped momentarily and then composed herself. "How long do you think you can go without telling them?" Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged. "Maybe the rest of the night. But by morning, I'll have to tell them."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "Well, try to hold off as long as you can."

Ron nodded and went to go back into the room, Hermione guessed so he could say goodbye to his sister. Hermione decided she would wait out here until they were finished. As Ron headed back into the room, he paused with his hand on the knob. He turned back to Hermione.

"Thanks, doctor," he said.

"Hermione," she said with a smile. "You can call me Hermione."

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter: So, where's Harry Potter?<em>


	4. Harry

_A/N: Thanks to all those who have reviewed and alerted. Keep reading and let me know what you think!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>: **Harry**

The next morning, Hermione waited outside as eight redheads crowded into the room to visit Ginny. The night before had hardly been successful. After Ron had left, Ginny hadn't wanted to speak much at all. Hermione had guessed that would happen. She had revealed so much before Hermione had caused her break down that Hermione knew she wouldn't want to say much of anything after that. Now she was waiting to go in and check on Ginny before she needed to go check in on some of her other patients.

A few moments later, one of Ginny's brothers came outside and saw Hermione standing there.

"George Weasley," he said, extending his hand. Hermione took it with a smile.

"Hermione Granger," she said.

"Are you Gin's doctor?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Is she going to be okay?"

Hermione nodded. "She has a few cracked ribs, a fractured wrist, a broken cheekbone, and an injured trachea. Other than that, she has some cuts and some bumps and bruises."

"Doc, I don't mean physically. She's up here for a reason right?"

Hermione regarded him. From what she could tell, all of Ginny's brothers were older than her. It was hard to imagine. Hermione was an only child. She could barely imagine having one brother, let alone five. She remembered when she was younger and she had craved a sibling, and now, seeing how much Ginny's brothers loved her, she realized how right she was to crave that. Hermione gave George an encouraging smile.

"I brought your sister up here because she wouldn't speak to anyone. I thought bringing her up here would allow me to keep a better eye on her and talk to her more. I needed a better way to get through to her, and I thought bringing her up here would help. She'll be okay. She just needs time."

George nodded and turned to walk down the hall, but Hermione stopped him.

"George." He turned to face her with a look of sorrow on his face. "There was nothing any of you could have done. Women in situations like these have to do things their own way. You can't make her leave—"

"I could have protected her," George said. "I knew he was hitting her—we all knew—but we didn't stop it."

"Unless you were with her 24 hours of every day, there was nothing you could have done."

"I could have taken her out of that house. I could have forced her to leave."

Hermione shook her head. "She has to leave on her own. That's the only way she won't be tempted to go back." George simply nodded, and Hermione gave him one last encouraging smile before she turned to go into Ginny's room. Hermione assumed that George had gone somewhere to clear his head or get something to eat or drink. The entire family had already been here for several hours this morning, and they hadn't shown any signs of leaving any time soon. When Hermione entered the room, they all turned to look at her. They were all talking to Ginny or amongst themselves, and when they saw Hermione, she thought she heard the mother whisper to one of her sons "Oh, she's pretty!"

"Hello, everyone," Hermione said with a smile. "I'm Hermione Granger, Ginny's doctor." As soon as she spoke, the mother rushed over and pulled Hermione into an enormous hug, causing Hermione to hold her clipboard out and stiffen slightly in surprise.

"Thank you for looking after my baby," the mother said, holding Hermione tightly. Hermione smiled and patted her on the back with her free hand.

"Molly, let go of the girl," a man that Hermione assumed was the father said.

"I'm Molly Weasley," the woman said as soon as she released Hermione. "Ginny's mother."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Weasley." After a few minutes, Hermione had introduced herself to everyone while keeping an eye on Ginny while she did so. Ginny seemed even more tense than she had yesterday, but in a different way. She didn't seem afraid of all the talking and the people around, but rather she seemed defensive, as if she was daring anyone to ask her anything. When she had gotten around to everyone, Hermione spoke up to the room as a whole. "I don't mean to kick you all out, but I need to examine Ginny in private." Mrs. Weasley looked like she wanted to protest, but Mr. Weasley was able to get them all out after a few minutes. When they were all out, after assuring them they could come back soon, Hermione turned to Ginny. "How are you feeling today?" Hermione asked her as she began listening to her chest sounds. "Take a deep breath for me."

"I'm okay," Ginny said after breathing in.

"Exhale," Hermione said. "Is it hard having so many people in here? I can have Remus only allow them in two at a time."

Ginny scoffed. "No, it's all right. They wouldn't listen to you anyway. But it's fine, I'm used to it."

"Turn over," Hermione said. "It must be nice having such a big family that obviously cares so much about you. Deep breath," Hermione said as she pressed the stethoscope to Ginny's scratched and bruised back.

Ginny nodded. "It is," she said sincerely. "It's overwhelming sometimes though," she said after exhaling.

"You can turn back over," Hermione said. "I can understand that. I'm an only child, though. It got lonely sometimes." Hermione felt around different parts of Ginny's body, and when Ginny winced, Hermione looked up at her. "Are you experiencing some tenderness here?" Hermione asked as he pressed her fingers into Ginny's abdomen again.

"A little," Ginny said. "But it's nothing to worry about."

"Well, I think I should probably run some tests again," Hermione said as she took the stethoscope out of her ears and wrapped it around her neck.

"No, it's nothing."

"Ginny—"

"I had an abortion. A few weeks back."

Ginny sat up and looked down at her hands. Hermione put her hand on top of Ginny's. "It's okay," Hermione said. Then she waited. If Ginny wanted to talk about it, she would. After several moments, Ginny spoke again.

"I was uh… Pregnant. And I… I couldn't," Ginny said quietly.

"Why?" Hermione asked gently.

Ginny looked at Hermione as if she was crazy. "Do you really think I could bring a child into our relationship? I would never want a baby to see what he does to me."

"Ginny—"

"Ginny!" A man with dark, disheveled hair and strikingly green eyes swung the door open and came rushing into the room toward Ginny.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. For the first time since Ginny had been in the hospital, Hermione saw a true, genuine smile cross her face. She opened her arms for him and when he embraced her, she didn't wince away even though he was probably crushing her cracked ribs, and she buried her face in his neck. This reaction surprised Hermione greatly. Every single person—even her own family—who had seen Ginny could barely get her to look at them, but then this man—Harry—comes in, and her eyes light up. Normally, Hermione would have told the man he had to leave because he wasn't immediate family, but if he made Ginny react this way, she figured it couldn't hurt. She stood off to the side and watched them.

"Oh, Ginny," Harry said as he pulled away from her. She still had her arms wrapped around him and he still had one arm around her as he leaned back to take in the damage. He ran his thumb across the bandage that covered her broken cheekbone. "Turn him in. You can't let him keep doing this to you."

"He doesn't mean it," Ginny said quietly. And although she looked embarrassed, she never took her eyes off Harry.

"How can you let him keep doing this to you?" Harry said gently.

"He's my husband."

Anger flashed across Harry's face for just a moment. "That doesn't give him the right."

"I know," Ginny said quickly. "But… you were his partner—you know how he is. You know how messed up he's been since last year."

Hermione stood silently watching them. She had always prided herself on her ability to read people. _Interesting_, she thought to herself. So this apparently used to be Michael's partner on the force. Hermione wondered why he no longer was. It was an interesting dynamic between Ginny and Harry. She knew that partners were close and their families were usually close as well, but there was something different about Ginny and Harry. _It's almost as if…_ It seemed to Hermione that Ginny was _in love_ with Harry. Hermione looked around and noticed that Harry was not wearing a wedding ring. And it was clear to Hermione that Harry cared a great deal for Ginny. As far as she could tell, however, their relationship didn't extend beyond friendship and caring for one another. Harry obviously cared about Ginny, but she also imagined that he had his loyalty to his former partner to think about. He probably had some feelings for Ginny as well, but he assumed that Ginny didn't feel that way about him because she was married to his old partner. Hermione observed all of this in silence.

"Harry, just… please don't say anything to anyone on the force," Ginny pleaded.

Harry clenched his jaw and looked like he wanted to protest, but instead he just said, "All right, Gin."

"Does anyone else know?"

"No one but me," Harry said. He smoothed back her hair. "I could kill him for doing this to you." Ginny smiled up at him. After they looked at each other for a long time, Harry finally glanced over and noticed Hermione. He pulled away from Ginny, and Hermione noticed the look of sadness that immediately swept over Ginny. "Oh," Harry said, turning away from Ginny. "Sorry." He approached Hermione and held out his hand. "I'm Harry Potter. I'm a friend of the Corners."

Hermione took his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Harry. I'm Hermione Granger. I'm Ginny's doctor."

Harry smiled warmly. "Thanks for taking care of our girl, doc," Harry said as he glanced back at Ginny and smiled. Ginny was looking at her hands. Harry then stepped closer to Hermione and spoke quietly. "He told me about it. Michael. I saw him when he came in and I took him home from the station and he told me what happened." Harry looked worried. "Says he's sorry and wants to come see her, but he knows her family will get upset. He's always sorry," Harry added, looking away from Hermione with anger in his green eyes.

"You've known about this? For a while?" Hermione whispered.

He continued to stare off angrily. "Of course," he said, whispering as well. "Everybody knows."

"But you told her—"

"I told her because it would only upset and embarrass her."

"You mean to tell me that all the cops on the force know about this but they don't do anything about it."

Harry's jaw clenched and unclenched several times before he answered. He looked back at Hermione and the fierce look in his eyes startled her a bit. "There's a code… amongst us cops, there's a code. We don't get involved in stuff like this."

"He hits her at least once a week!" Hermione said in a harsh whisper. Harry didn't respond. Instead he turned and walked back to Ginny.

"Gin," he said quietly. "Look, baby, I gotta get back to work." Ginny looked extremely disappointed. "I'll come by and see you a little later, okay?" He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. Ginny leaned in to his kiss. "Michael wants to come see you," Harry said after pulling away. Ginny looked up at him, but her expression was blank. "He's going to apologize and feed you the same crap he always feeds you. I know you're going to listen to him, and I know you're going to forgive him…"

"Harry—"

"No, Ginny, it's all right," Harry said as he ran a hand down her arm. He wasn't looking at her, but rather at a spot on her shoulder. Finally, he looked up at her. "Just know that you deserve better than this." And with that, he kissed her on the forehead one more time and turned to walk out the door. "Thanks again, doc," he called before exiting.

After he left, Hermione approached Ginny and noticed that her eyes were full of tears.

"Ginny…"

"I want to call my husband," Ginny said defiantly as she wiped away her tears and sat up straighter.

"Are you sure—"

"Yes. Excuse me for a moment," Ginny said as she pulled her purse up to her lap. Hermione sighed as she walked out of the room.

When she was out in the hallway, she noticed that Harry was still there, quietly talking to Ron, Ginny's brother, off to her right while the rest of the family was gathered around to her left. She turned to the family.

"I think you all should go," she said. They all immediately began to protest, but Hermione held up a hand. "She's going to call Michael, and I don't want any problems when he arrives. It would be best if you all left."

"We're not leaving her alone with him," one of Ginny's brothers—Charlie, was it?—said.

"I'll be here the entire time. I won't leave them alone out of my sight, I promise you."

It took nearly ten minutes of coaxing and convincing before Hermione was able to get all the Weasleys to say their goodbyes to Ginny and leave the hospital. The only one who absolutely refused to leave was her brother Ron. Hermione assumed they were closer since he was the only one she had called yesterday. He said he wouldn't be around when Michael came but that he wasn't leaving the hospital. That was going to have to be good enough for Hermione.

Before Michael got to the hospital, Hermione took a trip down to the surgical floor.

"Malfoy?" Hermione tapped him on the shoulder, interrupting his conversation with a pretty blonde doctor. "I need you upstairs." The woman he had been talking to raised an eyebrow, but Malfoy simply waved her off and followed Hermione.

"What is it Granger?"

"He's coming. The husband is coming to the hospital, and I want you in there with me to look after them."

"You couldn't get some nurse to do it? It's not like I'm busy or anything."

Hermione shook her head and tried to withhold her annoyance. Sometimes Malfoy seemed decent, other times he seemed like an arrogant ass. This time it was the latter. "No, he's already afraid of you, and he knows now that you won't hesitate to respond. I need you in there."

"I'm busy. I have a surgery in two hours."

"Malfoy. Please. It won't take long. I need you."

Hermione stared at him with a plea in her eyes. She didn't like to beg, but she really did need him. She needed to know that Ginny would feel as comfortable as she could given the situation, and she wanted the husband to feel uncomfortable. It was the best way. Malfoy looked like he wanted to protest for a moment, but then he shrugged and continued following Hermione upstairs. Even though he had initially protested, she knew he would oblige. She didn't know why, but he felt a connection to Ginny, and because he was so invested in her, Hermione knew she could count on him for this. When they got to Ginny's room, Malfoy immediately walked over to her.

"Hi, Dr. Malfoy," Ginny said with a smile.

"How are you doing, Ginny?" he asked her. Ginny shrugged. "It's normal for you to feel pain after an attack like you faced, but do you have any unbearable discomfort?" Ginny shook her head. "Okay. Good. When is your husband supposed to arrive?" Hermione noticed that Ginny tensed up at his words.

"He should be here any minute," Ginny said.

"We're going to stay," Malfoy told her.

"You don't need to."

Malfoy ignored her and continued. "We'll just sit over here and leave you two alone." Ginny looked at him, but did not say anything. She sat up in her bed, pulled her knees up to her chest, and waited. Hermione watched her. She seemed nervous, but Hermione thought it was more because Hermione and Draco would be here scrutinizing their every move more than the fact that her husband would be there. After a few moments of silence, Hermione spoke up.

"Ginny, if you need anything, just say my name and I'll be over there." Ginny nodded.

"What do you think?" Malfoy asked Hermione quietly.

"About what?" Hermione said, her voice matching his.

"What's going to—"

But Malfoy was cut off in the next moment by the hospital door opening and the man that both Hermione and Draco recognized as Michael Corner walking in. When he saw Malfoy, anger flashed across his face, but Hermione spoke in order to stop any altercation that may have occurred between them.

"Hi, Mr. Corner—"

"Michael," he said, extending his hand with a smile. He was charming—a classic persona for a domestic abuser. Hermione refrained from smiling but she took his hand anyway.

"I'm Dr. Granger, Ginny's doctor. That's Dr. Malfoy. I believe you two have already met," Hermione said with an insincere smile. She noticed that Corner's cheek was bruised from where Malfoy had hit him. Her smile became more sincere at the thought. Corner nodded at Malfoy, but Malfoy did not return the gesture. He simply stared at the man. "We'll just be waiting over here," Hermione said as she returned to her spot in the corner. She sat down in the chair that Malfoy stood next to with his arms across his chest.

"Baby," Corner said as soon as he turned to Ginny. He walked over to her, but unlike every person that had come to visit Ginny, he did not touch her. She still sat with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. When he got close enough to her, she looked up at him. "I'm so sorry, baby," he said. "I don't… I don't know what to say—" his voice broke and Hermione had to withhold an eye roll. When she looked up at Draco, she noticed that he didn't. In the next moment, Ginny opened her arms to Corner and he bent down to wrap his arms around her and sob into her shoulder. Hermione had seen this display so many times with abusers that it was almost like a movie that she had watched so many times that she knew every action by heart. It was so typical for the _abused_ to comfort the _abuser_ after an attack that it didn't even shock Hermione in the slightest. But that didn't mean it didn't frustrate her.

Corner cried for a bit longer before he leaned back off of Ginny's shoulder and pressed his lips to hers. Ginny tensed slightly, but she allowed him to kiss her. Hermione thought she might throw up watching this display.

"I wanna take you home," Corner said after he pulled away from Ginny's mouth. He kept his arms around her. She put her hands on his chest.

"I think I have to stay for a little longer," Ginny said. Although Hermione hadn't told her that she wanted Ginny to stay for a bit longer, Ginny responded this way anyway. She wasn't ready to go home yet. Corner looked up at Hermione.

"When can I take her home?"

"Why, so you can hit her again?" Malfoy said before Hermione could speak.

Ginny's eyes widened. "Malfoy!" Hermione hissed at him.

"Do you have a problem?" Corner asked angrily, stepping around Ginny's bed.

"Oh, sure, I guess," Malfoy said sarcastically as he stepped closer to Corner as well. "I tend to have problems with men who beat their wives."

"That right?"

"Yeah, you—"

"Michael!" Ginny called.

"Stop, both of you," Hermione said. Malfoy and Corner were standing about a foot from each other before Hermione stepped between them and pushed Malfoy backwards. "You're a doctor!" Hermione growled under her voice to Malfoy. "Act like it." Malfoy looked like he wanted to speak, but instead he just clenched his jaw and stepped backwards. With one last stern look at Malfoy, Hermione turned to Corner.

"Your wife will be ready to leave tomorrow morning. You can take her home then."

"Whatever," Michael said. "Look, Gin, I'm going to head out—"

"Michael…" Ginny said desperately.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning." He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you, babe."

"Love you, too," Ginny said quietly as she looked down into her lap. With one last dirty look thrown in Malfoy's direction, Corner left. As soon as he was gone, Hermione grabbed Malfoy by the arm and dragged him out of the room while assuring Ginny she would be back soon.

"What did you think you were doing in there?" Hermione rounded on Malfoy angrily as soon as they were no longer within earshot of Ginny's door.

"What were YOU doing, just acting like he was any other husband?" Malfoy shot back.

"Do you have any idea how delicate their situation is? Anything could trigger him, and he could take it out on her!" Malfoy opened and closed his mouth several times, but he didn't say anything. "Yeah, of course you didn't think of that. All you wanted to do—"

Hermione was cut off by the sound of shrieking down the hallway. There was a loud commotion, and she suddenly heard several people yelling and talking and moving at once. With a last angry look at Malfoy, she ran off in the direction of the noise, expecting that a psychotic patient had gotten loose. When she got to where people were crowded around, she saw a man with red hair straddling and throwing wild punches at a man with dark hair.

"Mr. Weasley!" Hermione shouted at Ron. Many people were yelling at him and trying to grab his arms to get him off of Corner, but his fists were flying too quickly, landing violent blows to Corner's face.

"Yeah, doesn't feel too good, you—!"

Ron was cut off as Malfoy swept in and yanked him off of Corner. As soon as Ron was off of him, Corner stood up, wiping blood off of his face.

"You'll pay for that," Corner spat at Ron. "You'll all pay. I'm suing this hospital," he said right before turning and storming from the ward.

"Ron…" Hermione said as she stepped toward him. She lifted up his hands to look at them. His knuckles were covered in blood and were already beginning to bruise. "What—?"

"He beat my sister. It was the least he deserved." Ron yanked himself out of Malfoy's grip.

Hermione sighed but didn't say anything. She understood Ron's anger, but what both Ron and Malfoy didn't understand was that abusers didn't take this kind of action out on people like Ron and Malfoy, they took it out on the people they frequently abused. Hermione's heart clenched with fear and anxiety when she thought about what Corner would do to Ginny as a means of revenge.

* * *

><p><em>The Next Morning<em>

"If you experience any abnormal pain, contact me immediately," Hermione was saying to Ginny the next morning as Ginny prepared to leave the hospital. Her husband was waiting outside the room. Hermione had grinned when she saw the bruises all over his face. "Don't hesitate. It could be something serious." Ginny nodded. "Be careful of your stitches, and try not to do anything strenuous for a while. It will only make your injuries worse." Again, Ginny nodded. As she got off her bed, Hermione noticed how gingerly she moved from her bed to her wheel chair. It was obvious that she was still in a great deal of pain. Hermione was overwhelmed with sorrow for her. Hermione walked behind her wheel chair to wheel her out of the room. She began to push her, but stopped. She walked around to face her. "Ginny… If you need anything, day or night, call me." Hermione pulled a card out of her lab coat and handed it to Ginny. "Keep this in a safe place so he won't see it." Ginny nodded and slipped it into her bra temporarily. "If anything happens ever or if you just want to talk, call me any time. I don't care if it's two a.m. or one in the afternoon." Hermione gave Ginny a small, sincere smile, right before she walked back around to push Ginny out of the room. As soon as Hermione began to move her, she heard Ginny speak quietly.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter: A few weeks pass. Draco and Hermione make a date.<em>


	5. Coffee Date

**Chapter 5**: **Coffee Date**

"What are you doing down here?"

Granger rolled her eyes at Draco who was standing at the nurse's station with a chart in his hand. He withheld a grin.

"I do have patients down here," Granger said, clearly annoyed. Draco scoffed. She rolled her eyes again and turned her back to him and began walking away from him. Although he knew it severely irked her when he alluded to the fact that she wasn't a "real" doctor, he loved pushing her buttons about it.

"Hey, Granger." Granger turned back to Draco with a raised eyebrow. "Go out with me."

Granger gaped at him. "Are you kidding me?"

Draco laughed. "Come on, you know you want to."

"Don't think I don't know your reputation, Malfoy. I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last person on earth."

Draco could help but put a mocking hand to his heart. "Granger, you cut me to the quick."

Granger rolled her eyes and walked away from him. He had known she would stay no. He had really only asked because he knew it would illicit a response from her, but he couldn't say he would have absolutely hated it if she'd said yes. Ever since they had worked together on the Weasley case weeks ago, Draco didn't know why, but he hadn't been able to get Granger out of his mind. Every time he saw her on his floor, he would do anything he could to get under her skin just so that he could have a chance to talk to her. He just couldn't get his mind off of her. The way she bit her lip when she was concentrating on a chart; the way her ass looked when she walked away from him angrily… He tilted his head and watched her as she walked away. _Such a waste,_ Draco thought to himself. _An ass like that on a girl like her. She doesn't even use it to her advantage… The things I could do to an ass like that. _Draco smirked, and right before she was about to ascend the stairs, she looked back at him. When she caught him staring, she rolled her eyes, and he laughed.

"Leave that girl alone."

Draco looked over and saw one of his attending surgeons looking down at a chart.

"Aw, come on, Sprout, let me have a little fun," Draco said as he flashed her a charming smile.

Dr. Sprout shook her head. "Dr. Granger is a sweet girl who really cares about every patient she sees. Don't you dare do to her what you do to every other defenseless woman in this hospital." Draco continued grinning but his eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Don't think I don't know your reputation, _Malfoy_," Sprout said, mimicking what Granger had said just a few moments earlier. She hadn't even looked up from her chart, but she still knew that what she said would shock him. She always had this way of knowing exactly what was on his mind.

Draco laughed. "They're not so defenseless," he said.

Sprout nodded as she checked off several things on the chart in front of her. "That's true," she said. Then she closed the chart, tucked it under her arm, and turned to look up at Draco sternly. "Stay away from Dr. Granger," she said. "She's a good girl and she doesn't needed to be corrupted by the likes of you."

"I can't help my charm, Sprout. The ladies can't get enough." Sprout gave him a frustrated look before she turned away from him and walked toward one of her patient's post-op rooms. Draco chuckled to himself after she was out of earshot.

* * *

><p>"Oh, great."<p>

"Don't sound so excited, Malfoy. What have we got?"

Draco gave Granger a look before handing her the chart. "We have him sedated right now. When he came in he was completely psychotic."

Granger took the chart and glanced between it and the patient. "What are you even doing in the clinic?" Granger said without looking up at him.

"Sprout's pissed at me. She put me in here."

Granger smiled, and Draco's heart sped up a bit. "Well, it's good for you. You need to be brought back down to earth sometimes."

Draco laughed. "Is that so? What would you know about it, Granger?"

"Like I told you yesterday," she said as she checked the patient's responses. "I know your reputation."

Draco stepped close to her so that his body was almost touching hers. "What if I told you that all the rumors are true?"

Granger wrote a few things on the patient's chart and acted as if she didn't even noticed how close Draco was to her. She shrugged. "Well, if what the nurses say are true, you've got a tiny—"

"Not so fast, Granger. You and I both know that's not true." His mouth was right by her ear.

"Do we?" she turned to look at him. Their noses were almost touching. She arched one perfect eyebrow as he smirked at her. Someone near them cleared his throat.

"Doctor?"

Granger was the first to look away, and even though they weren't competing, Draco inwardly took it as a personal victory.

"Ah, Remus, that was fast," Granger said to the nurse that had just arrived. "We need to take him upstairs." Neither Hermione nor Draco noticed the look that flashed across Remus's face when he got a good look at the patient. Remus moved to get some other nurses to help, but Draco stopped him.

"Whoa, Remus, hold on." Draco turned to Granger. "This is the third time this week and about the twentieth time since I've met you that you've stolen one of my patients."

"Oh, get over yourself," Granger said as she looked up at him in annoyance. "I'm not _stealing_ your patients. They need to be up in psych. I like to do what's best for the patients."

"And I don't?" Draco challenged.

"_You_ like to do what's best for your ego. On three," she said to the nurses that Remus had summoned while Draco had been distracted. As soon as they moved the patient to the other gurney so they could transfer him upstairs, Draco moved to block them from moving. "Move, Malfoy," Granger hissed angrily.

"Go out with me."

"Are you serious?" Granger said angrily. "Move!"

"I'll move when you agree to meet me in the cafeteria for coffee later."

Granger's face was red with what was probably a mixture of anger and embarrassment. All the other nurses who had helped them move the patient had gone back to what they were doing, but Remus was still looking back and forth between them while clearly trying to keep his eyes away from the patient. "Fine, just move," Granger hissed.

"Promise? You promise you'll meet me later?"

"Oh my god, yes! Whatever! Just move!"

Draco raised his hands in a show of surrender and stepped aside. "See you later, Granger!" he called after her as she and Remus wheeled the patient away. Granger threw up an obscene gesture, and Draco laughed.

* * *

><p>Hermione was checking on her new patient for the third time in the past hour. They didn't know what was wrong with him. She had paged Neuro as soon as she brought him upstairs, but they still hadn't sent anyone up. Her attending doctor had told her to page them, but Hermione thought it was purely mental. She had seen many unresponsive psychotics before, and he was no different than any of them.<p>

As Hermione listened to his heart sounds for the third time, Remus came in.

"I'd probably be despondent, too, if I were him," he said as he stood on the other side of the bed.

Hermione was confused. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know who this is?" Remus looked at her. Hermione shook her head.

"Should I?"

Remus shrugged and looked back down at the patient. "He was all over the news a few months ago." Remus brushed the patient's hair out of his face, but the patient did not react. He laid on his back with his mouth slightly open and his eyes slightly wide and hardly blinking. "His name is Sirius Black," Remus began. "About 30 years ago, he was convicted for the murders of fifteen people, including three of his best friends and the attempted murder of his friends' baby."

"Oh my god…" Hermione said slowly.

"Yeah," Remus said, still looking at the patient. "But a few months ago, new evidence was found that completely exonerated him of all the murders."

"What evidence?"

"One of the people he had supposedly killed was found."

"What?" Hermione asked, horrified. Her voice wasn't higher than a whisper.

"I know…" Remus said slowly. "At the time, all the evidence pointed to him. There wasn't much forensic evidence, but they found him in the street surrounded by twelve dead bodies, blood all over his hands. They said that when he found them, he was laughing." Remus's voice was now quiet. "I remember hearing about it… The way they said he killed his friends was horrific. Only found a finger of one of them…"

"A finger?"

Remus chuckled, but there was no humor in his eyes. "When they found him a few months ago, he was missing a finger… He cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. But really he was an accomplice in the murders."

"Wow…" Hermione was completely astounded. "Well, how did they find him?"

Remus shook his head. "That was the craziest part. His friends' son… The one they said he tried to kill… He found him."

"How?"

"He's a sergeant with the LAPD," Remus said with a small smile. "Potter."

_Potter…_ Why did that name sound familiar?

"You really don't watch the news do you?" Remus asked her, the small smile still on his face.

Hermione laughed. "I did just move here about a month ago."

Remus nodded. "Well, this is Sirius Black. And like I said, if I were him… after serving 30 years in prison on death row for a crime I didn't commit… I probably wouldn't even be alive." And with one last look at the patient, Remus turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Hermione was still thinking about the story Remus had told her earlier about Sirius Black. There were two things that her mind was stuck on. If she knew someone that had been accused of murdering her parents, she would do nothing to go out of her way to prove that he was innocent—and yet that's exactly what the sergeant had done. Even though he had every reason to believe that Sirius was guilty, he did what he could to prove that he wasn't. What had convinced him? Why did he do it? The second thing Hermione was stuck on was Potter. She knew that she had heard that name, but she couldn't remember when or in what context. Usually, she had a great memory, and this was bothering her beyond belief. Was he a patient? Hermione sighed.<p>

"Thinking hard, Granger?"

Hermione looked up and saw Malfoy standing in front of her table.

"I didn't think you'd show," he said with a smirk.

Hermione groaned. "I forgot about meeting you. I just came down here to think. I'm going back upstairs."

"Not so fast, Granger. We had a deal."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want to have coffee with me?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. "Because I know you don't want to."

Hermione stood up. "I'm leaving."

"Granger, wait." Just as Hermione moved to walk away, Malfoy grabbed her wrist. Hermione looked at him and tried to read his thoughts. He looked… sincere. She couldn't believe her eyes. He looked as if he genuinely wanted her to stay. But as soon as that look was there, it was gone, and replaced by his signature smirk. "You want to stay," he said. "I can tell."

Hermione gave him a regarding look for a few moments before she eventually responded. "I'll stay. But only because I desperately need coffee."

A few minutes later, Malfoy had returned with two steaming cups of black coffee. Hermione took a large drink and scalded her mouth, but she hardly cared. It had been a long day and it was going to be an even longer night.

"So," Malfoy said after taking a sip of his coffee. "Where did you live before you moved here?"

Hermione gave him a brief, suspicious look before answering. "Boston."

"Is that where you went to school?" Malfoy asked. Hermione nodded. "Granger…" he said slowly. "Did you go to Harvard?" Hermione looked up at him but didn't answer. Malfoy whistled. "Wow. That's impressive."

"Thanks," Hermione muttered.

"Why did you move here? There are plenty of good hospitals up there?"

Hermione shrugged. "Just wanted a change, I guess. And St. Mungo's is one of the best hospitals in the country."

"Isn't Mass. Gen., like, number one in psychiatry?" Hermione nodded. "So if you went to Harvard Med, why—"

"I just wanted something different, okay?"

Malfoy raised his hands up in surrender. He did that a lot when he was around Hermione. "Okay, okay." There were several moments of silence before Malfoy spoke again. "So, you don't have a Boston accent," he said with a smirk. Hermione rolled her eyes, and Malfoy laughed. "Did you grow up there?"

"Born and raised," Hermione said.

"So where's your accent?" Malfoy asked, still smirking.

"When I went to college in New York everyone made fun of me for it, so I got rid of it."

"Aw," Malfoy said, reaching out a patronizing hand to pat on her shoulder. "Poor Granger."

"Shut up."

More silence passed, which again, Malfoy broke. "Well, I grew up in Seattle, if you were wondering," he said. "I love it there, but I always wanted to live in L.A."

"Why?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself. She didn't want Malfoy to think that she was at all interested in his life, but she was inquisitive by nature.

Malfoy shrugged and smirked. "Just wanted a change, I guess," he said, throwing her own line back at her. When she didn't respond, he went on. "Nah, I'm an only child, and my parents aren't exactly the lovey type. I just wanted to get out of there." Hermione nodded, and when she again stayed silent, Malfoy asked, "What's your family like?"

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly a wave of doubt and confusion washed over her. What was happening? This coffee break was starting to feel like a first date—talking about their pasts and their families—and Hermione was thrown off by it. This was by no means a date, and she didn't want him thinking for one second that it was. Yes, he was extremely good-looking with his grey eyes and sharp bone structure, and she could see that he was fit underneath his scrubs, but she had heard all about his reputation. One-night-stands with doctors and nurses all over the hospital, charm beyond measure that no woman could apparently resist, and a string of broken-hearted women left pining after him long after their sexual encounters. No, Hermione had moved to L.A. to get away from drama, not to thrust herself into more of it. She had even asked a surgical nurse about Malfoy when she was down on the surgical floor a few days earlier.

"_Dorinda, what do you know about Dr. Malfoy?"_

"_Dr. Malfoy?" Dorinda looked a bit confused. Dorinda was a young, shy, brunette nurse with a pretty face, high cheekbones, and a big nose. She was a bit shorter than Hermione, and she was incredibly thin. Her pale skin was freckled in some spots and her eyes were a dull hazel. She had worked at the hospital for nine years and although she was about two or three years older than Hermione, her disposition was that of a nervous teenager. Hermione hadn't wanted to ask Dorinda about Malfoy for that reason, but she knew Dorinda was the only surgical nurse she could ask who would know about Malfoy and that wouldn't somehow make sure it got back to him that she was asking about him. _

"_Yes," said Hermione._

"_Well… he's a gynecological surgeon. He went to the University of Washington Medical School. He's a great surgeon, his patients love him—"_

"_You know what I mean, Dorinda," Hermione interrupted. "Tell me about his… reputation." Dorinda gave her another confused looked and Hermione sighed with exasperation. "Oh, don't act like some doe-eyed girl! I mean his reputation with women."_

_Dorinda laughed nervously. "Well, I don't know…"_

"_This isn't some kind of test, Dorinda. You're not going to get in trouble for gossiping. I'm just curious about him, and I want to know. I know he's been with a lot of women at this hospital. I just want to know the extent of it."_

"_Well…" Dorinda began slowly. "He's not a one-woman-man, that's for sure." Although Dorinda looked shocked that the words had come out of her mouth, Hermione gestured for her to continue. "He's been with a lot of women at the hospital—probably a quarter of the women on the surgical floor and a good number from the other units—and he doesn't keep them around long. He's nice, though, and very charming, so the women he sleeps with never seem to be mad when he ditches them a week or two later."_

"_Have you ever…?"_

_Dorinda shook her head quickly and raised her left hand. "I'm married," she said with a laugh. "But he is very handsome. And smart, too. And I've seen the way he is with his patients. It's wonderful." _

_Hermione noticed and was frustrated by how every woman—even the married women—seemed to be smitten by Malfoy. Well, she decided in that moment that she wouldn't become one of them. _

"Malfoy, what are you doing?"

Malfoy shifted his eyes and creased his brow before he looked at her with confusion. "Drinking… coffee…?" he said slowly.

"No," Hermione said exasperatedly. "I mean, what do you think this is? Why are you asking me about my past and about my family? This isn't a date."

"Whoa, Granger, calm down. I was just trying to be friendly." Hermione scoffed. "It's just coffee."

"Oh, I bet that's what you tell all the girls. It always starts as 'just coffee' but then what? I'm not going to sleep with you. Not now, not ever."

Malfoy stood up. "Don't flatter yourself, Granger. I don't want to sleep with you. I thought that since we typically see a lot of each other, it might be nice to be on friendly terms, but if you want to be a bitch about it, then that's fine. See you around."

Malfoy then turned and walked away, while Hermione stared after him with a slightly open mouth. Maybe she had said too much, but it was what he deserved! From what she learned from Dorinda, Malfoy was a charmer and she wasn't going to let him charm her into anything no matter how good-looking he might be. A guy like Malfoy didn't ask a woman out to coffee without expecting it to be more than "just coffee."

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><p>Of course he wanted to sleep with her. She was beautiful and sexy, but most of all, she was fresh and she was a challenge. She was new to the hospital, and there was nothing Draco loved more than fresh meat. The thrill of seducing an unsuspecting woman was the greatest thrill in his life. He loved surgery, and he was damn good at it, and although the thrill of the knife was close, it wasn't quite as fulfilling as getting the woman he wanted. And he always did. He loved a challenge, and Granger may not realize it yet, but she didn't stand a chance against him when he set his mind to something. It was that drive that had taken him to the top of his class at one of the best and most competitive medical schools in the country. It was that drive that made him one of the best surgical residents at St. Mungo's, and it was that drive that was going to get Hermione Granger into his bed.<p>

But dammit! Just who did she think she was? He knew he had a reputation. How could he not know? But he wasn't going to let Granger, of all people, call him out on it. She didn't know him at all. Draco grunted in frustration.

"What's your problem?"

Draco turned around to see Blaise standing next to him as he waited for the elevator.

"Nothing," Draco said angrily. Then after a pause, he launched into a tirade. "No, it's that Granger—"

"The shrink?"

"Yes! She thinks she knows everything about everything, but she doesn't know anything about anything."

"Succinct," Blaise said sarcastically with an eye roll.

"I don't care," Draco said petulantly. "I'll have Granger begging to be in my bed within the month. Mark my words."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

Draco looked at Blaise with narrowed eyes. "What did you have in mind?"

"A hundred bucks says you can't get Granger to sleep with you in a month."

"Nothing like this ever ended well," Draco said with a grin. Blaise shrugged.

"If you're scared…"

"Make it two hundred, and you've got a deal."

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><p><em>Next Chapter: We find out how Ginny has been doing since she returned home with Michael.<em>


	6. Back Home With Michael

_A/N: (PLEASE READ. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.) First of all, I just wanted to say a big thanks to all those who have been reading along with this story, and a special thank you to those who have reviewed to let me know what they think. Second of all, a **WARNING**. This chapter contains scenes of physical and sexual assault. If reading anything of this nature will make you uncomfortable in any way, please SKIP TO THE FIRST LINE BREAK. The paragraph begins "Ginny had hardly slept that night." Anything before that is not necessarily extremely important to read, but everything else you will definitely want to read. I truly believe that including scenes of this nature in the story are important to understand Ginny and how her character will progress through this story (in other words, I'm not writing this scene because I enjoy it), but you won't lose anything incredibly important if you skip to the first line break. Just know that this scene is here. Thanks for reading, and as always, let me know what you think._

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Back Home with Michael<strong>

As soon as he had come home that night, Ginny had known this night would be a night when he would hit her. She could see it in his eyes the moment he walked in the door. She could sense it through his body language and the shortness with which he answered all her questions. Over the past year, Ginny had gotten more adept at reading when he was in a mood to hit her. Tonight was one of those nights. So when they began arguing about Harry and how Michael believed she had turned Harry against him, Ginny had only been very mildly shocked when his arm came swinging toward her and she was thrown to the floor by the force of his hand sailing across her cheek.

It had been two weeks since she'd left St. Mungo's. Two weeks and the "honeymoon" was over. When she'd first come back, he had done nothing but dote on her and tell her how sorry he was and how much he loved her. He had made her dinner or brought something home every night for that first week. He massaged her feet at night and she had let him cry into her neck as they lay in bed at night. It had been nice, and for a while, Ginny had convinced herself that this time things would be different. She was wrong.

Ginny put her hand to her face and touched it gingerly. Her eyes began to water as her fractured cheekbone throbbed painfully, and her ear was ringing loudly. Although her eyes watered, she refused to cry. She could tell that her body desperately wanted to release a sob, but she wouldn't. She couldn't.

She wasn't looking at him, but she could feel his presence as he stepped up closer to her. He wrapped a hand around the wrist that she held up to her face and yanked her up. For a brief moment, she thought her arm might come out of the socket. She cringed as he held her wrist up tightly.

"What did you say to him?" he asked her. His face was mere inches from hers and he spoke in a low growl. She still didn't look at him.

"Nothing," she said quietly.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM?" Michael screamed in her face. "Did you cry to him about how I hit you?"

"No."

"YOU LYING BITCH!" Michael roared as he brought his hand up and slapped her other cheek with the free hand that wasn't clutching her wrist. Ginny inhaled sharply as her face whipped to the side. He was left handed, and since his left hand was currently wrapped around her wrist, the blow wasn't as hard as it could be. For that at least, Ginny was thankful. "You told him that I abused you and what a horrible husband I am to you, right? Poor little Ginny crying to big bad Harry. You tell him that I slapped you and punched you and kicked you? You just love to tell everyone about our business." He was moving his head so he could try to get her to look at him, but she kept staring resolutely at the floor. "You like to tell them how your mean husband hits you?" he said in a whiny, mocking voice.

"I don't tell anyone anything," Ginny murmured.

"You're such a liar," Michael hissed right before he reached up and slapped her again. Ginny felt a wave of anger course through her, and before she knew what she was doing, she was talking back. Later she would berate herself for letting him get to her. It was what he wanted.

"I'm not lying!" she screamed. Then she jerked her head to look at him. "They can see it! You sent me to the hospital! I don't _have_ to tell them! THEY CAN SEE IT!"

This time Michael released her wrist so he could use his proper hand to hit her. She fell to the floor again, but he yanked her up again quickly. Ginny saw stars as he pulled her to her feet, and she felt light-headed. She knew that that last blow would leave her eye blackened tomorrow. She felt a wetness on her upper lip and she realized that her nose was bleeding. Michael apparently noticed, too, because he reached up and wiped it away roughly. _How sweet,_ Ginny thought sarcastically to herself.

"Are you fucking him?" Michael asked her. She didn't respond and he shoved her roughly so that she stumbled and her back slammed against the wall behind her. The wind was knocked out of her for a moment, and she barely heard him as he continued to scream. "ARE YOU FUCKING HARRY?" Again, Ginny said nothing. She wouldn't let him get to her again. "It wouldn't surprise me," Michael said harshly. "You were always such a slut in school. You slept with practically every guy who even looked at you. You were so used up and dirty by the time I had you. I don't even know why I married you."

When Ginny looked up at him, the look in her eyes was one of pure hatred. "Fuck you," she said quietly. Her voice shook as she said it.

Michael closed the space between them in an instant. He slammed her shoulders back so that her head banged against the wall before he pushed himself against her and brought his mouth right next to her ear. "That's what you want, isn't it?" She squirmed against him, trying to get out of his grip, but he was so much stronger than her. She didn't stand a chance of getting away. "You want to be fucked, don't you?" he growled right before he shoved his hand down her pants. Ginny tried to push him away, but he was unrelenting. As he used his other hand to grab her breast roughly, Ginny felt her first genuine jolt of fear since their fight had begun. When he screamed at her, when he hit her, when he pushed her, she hadn't felt fear. She had felt angry and sad and full of hatred. She had felt hurt and ashamed, and by the end she had almost begun to feel nothing. But none of the emotions she'd had compared to the pure terror she felt in this moment.

_He's going to rape me._

She said this sentence over and over in her head as he hissed cruel words in her ear as his hand maneuvered roughly under her panties. She couldn't even hear what he was saying anymore. Blood was pounding fiercely in her ears and her heart was racing madly. The more she tried to push him away, the more solid his body seemed to get against hers.

"Stop," she whispered harshly. He said more cruel things in her ear, but she heard none of it. Her mind was too focused on what he was doing to her. "Stop," she said, louder this time.

Then, she felt the pressure of his body move off of her, but before she could feel any sense of relief he grabbed her wrist and dragged her through the living room. She tried to pull out of his grip but he only held her tighter. As he pulled her down the hallway, fear ripped through her and she screamed. He wheeled around faster than she ever seen and slapped her so hard that she stumbled to the side and slammed her head against the wall of the hallway. He grabbed her wrist again and she almost fell as he pulled her along. She was so dizzy, her head was pounding, and her vision was blurry. As he dragged her into the bedroom, Ginny collapsed to the floor and tried to scramble away from him. He never released her wrist, and he dragged her across the floor.

When they got to the bed, he released her wrist and she tried to get up and run away, but his arms wrapped around her waist and he grabbed her from behind, lifting her off the ground, and he threw her onto the bed. She tried to roll off of it, but he was on her too quickly, pinning her to the bed.

"Michael, no…" she said hoarsely.

But she could see in his eyes that he was no longer coherent. He was blinded by something—rage, fear, memories—she didn't know. He was looking at her but he wasn't seeing her as he ripped open her blouse, yanked her bra down, and bit at her nipple hard. Ginny screamed, and he slapped her. When he pulled away briefly so he could pull off her jeans, she tried to get away but he was too quick for her. In a flash the world seemed to go black. The bottom half of her body was bare, and he was unbuckling his belt and his pants. Ginny turned her head away and covered her eyes with one hand and a moment later, he was thrusting hard and unyielding inside her. Ginny sobbed loudly as he went faster and harder and deeper.

"Michael, please…" she begged. "Stop…" She had been unprepared for his entrance and it felt like he was ripping and tearing at her insides, but he didn't stop.

Ginny didn't know if she had blacked out or if it had simply ended quickly because the next thing she knew, he was thrusting hard one last time and he pulled out quickly and released himself on her stomach. He stayed on top of her for a moment, panting hard, but after a few seconds passed, he rolled off of her, climbed off the bed, and shed the rest of his clothes as he walked to the bathroom. As soon as Ginny heard the shower turn on, she pulled the covers over her, buried her face into her pillow, and wept.

* * *

><p>Ginny had hardly slept that night. As soon as Michael had finished his shower, he had gotten dressed and left the house without so much as a word or a glance at Ginny. She had spent almost the entire night crying until she had eventually exhausted herself into falling asleep around four a.m. The sun had blinded her a little over three hours later, and Ginny had turned over to face away from the sun, but she hadn't gone back to sleep. Instead she simply lay there in the fetal position staring at the wall across from her. She couldn't move and she couldn't think. All she could do was stare.<p>

Several hours later, Ginny still hadn't moved from her position on the bed, but she was jolted out of her stupor by the sound of banging on the front door. Her heart clenched in fear and she pulled the covers up to her chin, eyes wide. The banging didn't stop, and from her bedroom she thought she heard someone yelling. After a few minutes, the banging finally stopped, and just as Ginny let out a sigh of relief, she nearly screamed as she heard someone start to knock on her bedroom window. She craned her neck to look and she could see the silhouette of a man.

"Ginny?" came a gentle but urgent and loud voice. "It's Harry, Gin. Please let me in." Ginny's heart began to thump against her chest madly. She couldn't let him see her like this. She hadn't looked in the mirror this morning, but she could only imagine. She knew that one of her eyes had to be black, her face swollen from all the slapping and crying, and she doubtlessly had makeup smeared all over her face.

"Ginny, please…" Harry said, quieter this time.

Ginny had known Harry for years, and she knew that if he was anything, he was persistent. She knew he wouldn't leave until he let her in, so with a deep sigh, Ginny climbed out of bed gingerly. She put her hand through the blinds so he couldn't see her and gestured for him to go around to the front. She then slipped her pants back on, pulled her robe around her and walked to her bathroom. The sight she saw when she looked in the mirror was even worse than she imagined.

She touched her swollen cheekbone lightly. It was incredibly tender and she winced when she touched it. She ran both of her shaking hands through her hair before she leaned in close to examine her black eye. Then she leaned back and looked at herself. And just as she thought every morning after she took a beating from Michael, one thought went through her mind.

_What did I do to deserve this?_

Ginny took several minutes to wash her face, brush her hair and pull it back in a pony tail, and try to make it seem like the bruises on her face were from two weeks ago. She put on her brown plastic-framed glasses, pulled her robe around her tighter and walked to the front of the house to meet Harry. When she opened the door, he was standing there patiently, although looking incredibly tense and worried.

As soon as she opened the door to let him in, she turned around and walked to the kitchen. He followed her quietly. She kept her back to him as she pulled out a kettle to heat up some water for tea. When she put the kettle on the stove, she paused for a moment before she turned around to face him. As soon as she did, he gasped and took several steps toward her so that almost no space separated them.

"I knew he hurt you last night," Harry said quietly as he brought a hand up to her cheek. "I can always tell. He always acts differently the morning after he beats you." A sharp pain coursed through her, but she still leaned into his touch. Apparently, though, he had noticed a look of pain cross her features. "I'm sorry," he said as he pulled his hand away quickly. When he dropped his hand, he moved it forward to take hers in his.

"What did he do, Gin?" Harry asked, a fierce look in his eyes. Ginny met his eyes for a moment but then quickly looked down.

"Nothing."

"You're lying."

"You have to go," Ginny said as she pulled her hand out of his and walked to the living room.

"Why?" he asked as he followed close behind her.

"If he finds out you were here…"

"What happened last night, Ginny?"

"Nothing," she said too quickly.

"Something happened. Your face—"

"Is no more bruised than it was two weeks ago." She stood next to the couch with her back to him.

"Yes it is," Harry said as he stepped in front of her. She didn't look up to meet his eyes. He reached out to raise her chin so he could look at her. "Your black eye had healed from two weeks ago. This one is obviously fresh. Your face is swollen like he slapped you several times."

"Don't interrogate me," Ginny said as she pulled her face out of his grip. She tried to turn away, but he reached out to grab her wrist and turn her back to face him.

"Ginny—"

"Don't touch me!" she screamed as she flinched violently out of his grasp. He pulled his hand away quickly as if she'd burned him. Then he put both hands up briefly in a show of surrender. She hadn't meant to react that way, but as soon as he had grabbed her, the image of Michael dragging her by her wrist to their bedroom had flashed through her mind.

"I'm not touching you," he said softly before he put his hands back down. Then he tilted his head to regard her. "What happened last night, Ginny?" he asked again. She looked down.

"Nothing."

"Ginny—"

"Nothing happened, Harry! Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I want to help, Gin."

"You can't help," She said quietly.

"Yes, I can. If you just tell me what he did—"

"Nothing."

"You don't deserve this, Ginny. You can't let him keep doing this to you. You have to let me help you. I can stop him."

Ginny scoffed. "_Let_ him? You think I'm _letting_ him do this to me?" Ginny said angrily as she pointed to her face.

"That's not what I meant…"

"Well, there's nothing you can do to help. You can't stop him. You can't be here every night when he comes home pissed off and ready for a fight. You can't be here when he suddenly decides to take out his frustration on me!" Ginny said as her voice began to rise. "You can't be here when he slaps me and pushes me down! You can't be here when he… when he…" Ginny's voice trailed off.

There was a moment of silence before Harry spoke up. "When he what, Ginny?"

"Nothing," Ginny said quietly.

"When he _what_, Ginny?" Harry repeated more forcefully.

"Nothing."

"Ginny—"

"It's nothing, Harry!"

"Tell me, Ginny! I can help you!"

"No, you can't!"

"Yes, I can! If you just—"

"There's nothing you can do, Harry! You're always trying to fix things, but you can't. Not this time. It's not your problem. It's mine."

"Ginny, I try to fix things because I CAN fix things if you'd let me!"

"You can't help." Ginny turned her back to him, and Harry threw his hands in the air in frustration.

"JESUS CHRIST, GINNY!"

"HARRY—" Ginny yelled back, but Harry interrupted.

"JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"

"No."

"Ginny—"

"Just drop it!" Ginny whipped around to face him once again.

"Just tell me!"

"He raped me!"

A look of pure horror crossed Harry's handsome features. He stared at Ginny as she stared at the floor, angry at herself for speaking. Hating herself for even letting him in.

"What?" Harry said, his voice shaking. Ginny just looked up at him, but she did not say anything. "Oh, Ginny…" Harry took a few steps towards her. Just as he was about to reach her, however, the kettle in the kitchen began to whistle, and Ginny quickly walked around him to the kitchen. This time he did not follow her. After she had poured two glasses and put lemon juice in hers and some sugar in Harry's, she walked back into the living room. Harry was still standing in the same position he had been in when she'd gone into the kitchen. She handed him his mug, and when he waved it away, she set it on the coffee table. She then sat on the couch and watched Harry. After several long moments, he walked over to the armchair that sat diagonal from the couch and looked at Ginny.

"I'm going to arrest him."

"Harry…"

But he wasn't listening to her. He was looking at his hands and talking quickly. "Marital rape is hard to prove, but with your testimony and the testimony of me and your family about how Michael has been beating you, we might be able to do this. I can talk to MacMillan in the D.A.'s office. He owes me a favor."

"Harry…" Ginny said again.

"I can probably get him ten years, maybe more if we can get the abuse admitted, too. He—"

"Harry," Ginny said more firmly, placing a gentle hand onto both of his. He immediately grasped her hand with both of his and looked up at her.

"I'll kill him, Ginny. I'll kill him for doing this to you."

Ginny smiled sadly. "You can't do that, Harry."

"Leave him, Ginny."

"I… I can't," she said slowly.

"Why?"

She paused. She didn't know if she should answer him honestly. He was already so on edge about all of this. But in the end, her mouth had opened and spoken the words before her brain could stop her. "I'm scared," she said quietly as she looked down.

"Ginny…" Harry said softly. Something in his voice made her look up. "Be with me." Her eyes widened almost comically. "I'm in love with you, Ginny, you have to know that. I have been for a long time. Be with me, and I'll protect you. I'll never let him hurt you."

Ginny's heart leapt into her throat and her limbs began to feel shaky. Harry loved her? It was as if the clouds that had been darkening her life for the past year suddenly opened and the sun began to shine after days and days and days of rain. She looked up at him and their eyes locked for a long, hard moment. She pulled her hand out of his, and his face looked a bit crestfallen but she tried to ignore it as she stood up and walked away from the couch. So much was happening in this moment. Last night her husband had beaten and raped her. As she had laid in her bed after everything, she had wanted to die. Nothing seemed worth living for. But today was a different day, and despite it all, Ginny tried to keep the smile from creeping up on her face. Harry loved her.

But he was confessing it at a time like this? She loved him, too—had for years—but even despite everything that had happened over the last several weeks and even though she was trying to hide her happiness, she couldn't help but think about how men always had the worst timing. Ginny stood with her back to him, wringing her hands nervously and trying to contain a smile. After a moment, she finally spoke. "Harry…"

"You don't have to love me back," She heard Harry stand up, and she knew he was walking toward her. "But I can protect you. I'll always protect you."

Ginny shook her head and turned around to face him. Even though she had known he had moved closer, she was still alarmed at how close he was when she turned around. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up into his green eyes. She could smell him, and she wanted to step closer. She wanted to say it. She felt the same way. She could almost feel the words swimming around in her mouth, but when she opened it, the words that came out weren't a confession of her own love. "Harry, you know we can't do this."

"Why not?" Harry stepped closer, leaving almost no space between them. When Ginny looked into his eyes, she could see the pain in them. She could see that he was upset that she hadn't said she loved him back.

"He would kill both of us," she said quietly, trying to ignore the heat coming off Harry's body. And she honestly believed it was true. Michael had always been jealous, even before he had started hitting her. And although her heart leapt when Harry brought his hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him, she wouldn't leave Michael. She wouldn't put Harry in danger. She wanted to tell Harry all of this with her eyes, but she could tell that his mind was already working on something else.

"Not if I kill him first," Harry said through clenched teeth. Something in his voice frightened Ginny a bit. For a moment, she thought he might be sincere. She stared at him and brought her hand up to wrap around his wrist.

"Stop talking like that," she said firmly.

"Leave him." Before she could respond, Harry dropped her chin and turned away. Ginny's arm fell limply to her side, and she suddenly felt very cold. "Look, I have to get back to work. You know where I live and you know my number. Think about what I said." And with that, he walked swiftly out the door and was gone.

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><p>That night, Michael still didn't come home. Ginny was sitting at her desk working, but she was too distracted by thoughts about Michael and Harry to get anything substantial done. After a few more minutes of worthless typing, she stopped, rubbed her hands down her face and shut her computer. She knew she needed to eat something, so she tried to take her mind off things as she walked to the kitchen to prepare something.<p>

As she was pulling out the ingredients and starting to make her late dinner, she thought about Harry. _I should have told him I love him._ This sentence had been running through her head since Harry had left earlier. She should have told him. He had already confessed his love, so what would she have to lose? Ever since Michael had gotten accepted to the police academy and Ginny had met Harry, she had been in love with him. The first time she had looked into those deep green pools and butterflies had fluttered madly in her stomach as he reached out to shake her hand, she had known that she was in love. It had scared her at first. Every time he was near her—every time they spoke or hugged or he would touch her in any way, however innocently—Ginny's heart would race and her voice would shake and she would forget how to act properly. As they had gotten to know each other better when Harry became Michael's partner, some of that stuff had cooled down, but her heart still raced every time she was near him.

When everything had happened with Michael and he had begun to hit her, her love for Harry had grown more. At night after he had gone to bed after one of his violent fits, Ginny would lay in bed and imagine what her life could be like if she were with Harry. She imagined that they would have children—two, maybe three. They would have his green eyes and his handsome smile. He would play with them and dote on them, and they would love him just as much. While Ginny diced some vegetables, her imagination began to wander.

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><p>"<em>Hey, baby."<em>

_Ginny smiled as she felt Harry's arms wrap around her from behind. He kissed her neck and ran his hands across her stomach while she smiled and leaned into his touch. After a few moments of his lips trailing across her sensitive neck, she dropped the knife she was holding to prepare dinner, and she turned around in his arms, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck as she pulled him into a kiss. _

_His lips were so soft. They always had been. And just like when they first met, Ginny still felt light-headed and shaky when she kissed him. He gently sucked her bottom lip between his lips, causing Ginny to sigh and press herself closer. His tongue brushed lightly against her lip, and instead of opening her mouth for him, she moved her head a bit and nipped at his bottom lip. She could feel him smile against her mouth as he growled quietly and brushed his tongue against her lip again, trying to gain entrance. When his hands trailed down and cupped her backside, she let out a small whimper and finally opened her mouth to him. _

_He always tasted like mint. He had an addiction to mints, and he was constantly popping them into his mouth throughout the day so that every time she kissed him he tasted like mint and like… like him. _

_Ginny sighed again as his tongue rolled across hers, and a moment later, he pushed the cutting board, knife, and vegetables out from behind her, put his hands around her waist, and hoisted her up onto the counter. Ginny let out a surprised "hmph," but she didn't bother to protest as he moved his mouth from hers and began to kiss, lick, bite, and suck at her neck. Ginny bit her lip to try and stifle a moan, but when the tiniest of moans escaped as she tilted her neck to give him more of it, he groaned deeply and pressed his body against hers. She felt him against her—slightly hard and desperately wanting. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist to close whatever little space was left between then. And just as his hand began to travel down slowly across her breasts and her stomach and further down still, Ginny heard a small voice calling out to them. _

"_Mommy. Daddy."_

_Ginny smiled as Harry pulled away from her. She saw only the briefest look of disappointment cross his face as he gave her one last peck on the cheek, whispered "Later" into her ear, and turned around to face their son. _

"_Alby!" Harry said loudly as he scooped their son into his arms. The boy laughed happily when his father picked him up and tossed him above his head. Their son, Albus—named for Harry's grandfather—was the spitting image of Harry. He had bright green eyes and messy black hair that never seemed to stay in the spot that Ginny wanted. She would try for so long every day to tame it, but it never worked. She smiled and crossed her arms as she watched the two of them. Although the little boy was only two years old, him and his father already had such an enormous bond that made Ginny's heart swell with love and affection for both of them. _

"_What did you do today?" Harry asked his son._

"_Me and mom went to the park and we fed the ducks and they were scary!" Albus said with an excited look on his face. "One almost bit my finger." Ginny laughed and so did Harry, but Albus looked serious. "I was worried, but dad I made you a picture!" Harry smiled and set Albus down. _

"_Well why don't you go to your room and find it, and I'll meet you there in a second?" Albus smiled and turned to run out of the kitchen. Harry smiled in the direction of his son before he turned back to Ginny. He pulled her crossed arms down and took her hands in his as he leaned in and kissed her softly. "I love you," he whispered._

* * *

><p>Ginny sighed and threw her vegetables into a pan as the image began to fade in her head. Wouldn't that be nice? She couldn't help but imagine how her life could be—how it <em>should<em> be. What was stopping her from being with Harry? She wanted it. She deserved it. Why couldn't she just take that leap? It was all she had wanted and dreamed about for years. When he'd said he loved her earlier today, Ginny had wanted to scream and leap on top of him just to show him how much she reciprocated. She couldn't of course, but what was stopping her?

The voice inside her head spoke up. _Your abusive, psychopathic husband._

But Harry was a sergeant in the police department. If anyone could protect her from Michael, it would be him. Of course, Harry wouldn't be able to be around her at all hours of the day, but she was sure that he would do everything he possibly could to keep her safe. She wanted to feel safe. She wanted to feel safe and loved and appreciated and cared for. She didn't want to be verbally abused and beaten… and raped. She wanted Harry.

And with that thought in mind, Ginny picked up her phone and without really thinking it through, she called him.

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><p><em>Next chapter: Draco can't seem to get his mind off Hermione.<em>


	7. Day 1: Laying the Foundation

_**WARNING: Sexual content**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Day 1—Laying the Foundation<strong>

As Hermione stood at the nurse's station filling out charts, she got the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. She could feel eyes on her, but she didn't want to turn around to see who it was. She hated that moment when she made eye contact with someone who had been staring at her. She stood there for several moments, hoping whoever it was would look away, but when she still felt the eyes on her after a long moment passed, Hermione looked up. As soon as she saw who it was who had been staring at her, she rolled her eyes and looked back at her chart.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione asked without looking at him. He cleared his throat and when she heard him mutter something to himself, she looked up. He was looking at his hands nervously, and when he looked back up and saw her looking at him, he immediately turned and walked away. _Well, that's not going to work_, Hermione thought. "Malfoy!" she called after him.

Hermione tried to follow him, but he was too quick for her, and as soon as she turned the corner he had just disappeared around, he was nowhere to be found. Hermione sighed and walked back to the nurses' station to finish her charts.

As soon as Malfoy had ducked into a supply closet, an inner battle began raging in his head.

_What are you doing?_

I don't know.

_You can't flirt with a girl? You do it every day._

Not with Granger.

_She's no different than anyone else._

Yes she is.

—Wait. No she isn't. She's just another woman. A woman that I made a bet over for two hundred dollars.

_Exactly._ _Just flirt with her for a few days, charm her, and then seal the deal._

Right. Okay… Well…

_What?_

I don't want it to be like that.

_Like what?_

I don't want her to just be another woman that I sleep with and leave the next day.

_Why?_

I… I don't know!

_Maybe you should have thought about that before you made that bet with Blaise._

I was frustrated and upset. I wasn't thinking.

_You aren't thinking now, idiot._

I know.

_Do you_ like _Granger_?

What? No. No way. I hardly know her.

_But you want to get to know her. And you don't want it to be a one-time thing. You don't want it to be just about the bet._

…

_Right?_

Yes. No. I don't know.

_Then maybe you should_—

"Oh! Malfoy, I didn't know you were in here."

Draco's thoughts were interrupted when another warm body joined him in the supply closet.

"Velmenesse," Draco said.

"You've been avoiding me," Sonya said silkily as she edged closer to him.

"Have I?" Draco said coolly.

"Couldn't handle me?" she asked as she pressed her body against his and slid a hand in between them. Draco jumped a bit when she cupped him forcefully in her hand. "What? Did you think I would let you off the hook that easily?"

Draco chuckled nervously and tried to take a step back. "Hardly."

"Mmm," Sonya murmured as she put her mouth close to his ear. "Speaking of _hard_." She moved her hand up so she could slip it inside the waistband of his slacks and began to stroke him slowly. Draco sighed and let his eyes flutter shut. She may have been completely nuts, but she certainly knew how to use her hands. As she stroked him she slowly slid her tongue along the shell of his ear.

"L—Last time you did that," Draco said slowly and breathily as her hand began to pick up the pace. "You nearly bit my ear off." He was now fully hard and could feel his cock begging for freedom from the trap of his pants.

Sonya laughed seductively and moved away from his ear. She leaned forward as if she was going to kiss him, but she only stuck her tongue out and played with Draco's upper lip. When he opened his mouth unconsciously, her tongue played with his tongue until she gripped his bottom lip in between her teeth, as she bit down hard. Draco hissed and pulled away from her, only to get another low chuckle from her as she began to slide down onto her knees. Draco watched her as she unzipped his pants and freed his aching cock. When her mouth slowly slid over his length, Draco let his head tip back and his eyes roll into the back of his head. He tried to tell himself to stop her—tell himself that she was insane—but it felt too good.

Sonya soon began a steady rhythm along his length, and when she gave a particularly tight suction as she pulled away, Draco moaned and brought his hands down to grip her hair and force her to move faster. He looked down at her and she looked up at him with a smile, but the face he saw staring back at him wasn't Sonya's.

_Granger._

Suddenly, slightly frizzy curls were wrapped around his fingers and the eyes looking at him were Granger's soft brown and not Sonya's blazing green. The lips that were wrapped around him were Granger's soft, plump, pink lips that he had noticed the first day he met her, not Sonya's surgically enhanced lips painted with bright red lipstick. When he saw Granger's face, flushed with desire, looking up at him, he let out a surprised yelp and pulled away from Sonya, slamming against the back of one of the cabinets in the closet.

"Draco, baby, what's wrong?"

The woman before him had morphed back into Velmenesse, and her eyes were slightly narrowed as she stepped toward him. He had to get his mind off Granger. He couldn't let a perfectly good blowjob get ruined by imagining that this beautiful woman in front of him was really Granger. No. But just as he was thinking it, Sonya was stepping toward him but she wasn't Sonya. She was Granger again. And Granger was looking at him with eyes filled with lust and need. She was smilingly at him sweetly and her lips were slightly puffy from what she had just been doing to him. He couldn't take it. Real Granger, or no, he had to get what he wanted.

With a low growl, Draco pulled Sonya's lab coat off and tossed it to the side right before he turned her around. Sonya let out an excited squeal and braced herself against the shelf as Draco yanked the bottom of her dress up and was pleased to find their was nothing there to create a barrier to his entrance as he thrust himself inside of her. Sonya bit down on her lower lip in order to stifle a moan as Draco began to plunge in and out of her. The hair in front of him had turned into bushy brown curls again, so when Sonya turned back to look at him, Draco grabbed a fistful of what appeared to be Granger's hair and yanked her head back so she was forced to look forward. Draco grunted quietly with each thrust, and in Sonya/Granger's attempt not to moan too loudly so that people outside the closet would hear, she was whimpering quietly as she continued to bite down on her lip hard.

Just as Draco began to feel his climax build, he reached forward with his free hand and yanked one side of Granger's dress down along with her bra in order to expose one breast. Draco cupped it roughly and began to massage the nipple in between his fingers. Granger released a small, guttural noise that was a mixture between a grunt and a small moan and she brought her hand to her mouth so she could attempt to silence herself.

"So good," Granger moaned quietly. Draco grunted in response.

After a few more deep thrusts, Draco grunted loudly as he exploded inside Granger with one last thrust and Granger's mouth fell open in a silent scream and she gripped Draco's hand on her breast as her walls began to clench around him and she began to shake violently with orgasm. Draco thrust his hips against her a few more times until his release was finished, and as soon as it was done, he pulled out of Granger quickly and turned her around to bring his mouth to hers. He had to capture this moment. He had to kiss her and feel her mouth against his while she was still Granger. Because in a moment, she would be gone. Their tongues battled fiercely for a few moments before Draco had to pull away to catch his breath. And just as he had known, Draco was disappointed to find Sonya staring back at him, face flushed with satisfaction.

Sonya leaned forward and began to plant little kisses on his face and neck. "Mmm," she said between kisses. "That was even better than last time." Every couple words was separated by a kiss. Draco then pushed her away gently but firmly.

"I really have to get back to work."

Sonya nodded and kissed him again. This time, her tongue found his again, but he didn't let it last long before he broke away from her.

"This time, don't keep me waiting so long for the next time we do this," Sonya said with an eyebrow raise and a seductive smile.

Draco smiled at her before he left the closet, thanking god that this closet happened to be in a rarely used hallway, and thinking about how good it had felt when he'd thought that Sonya was Granger.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Sirius," Hermione said as she walked into her patient's room. "Oh! Remus," Hermione jumped when she saw the nurse standing next to Sirius's bed. "You scared me. I didn't know you were in here."<p>

"Sorry, doctor," Remus said.

"For the millionth time, call me Hermione."

Remus chuckled. "Sorry, Hermione. I just wanted to check on him. He never gets any visitors."

Hermione smiled at Remus before she moved forward to check on Sirius.

"Hasn't said anything?" Hermione asked Remus as she pressed her stethoscope to different parts of Sirius's body. Although she asked, she already knew the answer.

"Not when I've been with him," Remus said, not taking his eyes off the dark-haired man.

Hermione sighed and put the stethoscope around her neck again. "Well, everything still seems normal physically." Hermione looked at Remus. "I had an idea. I thought you might be interested." Remus's interest in this patient hadn't gone unnoticed by Hermione. She didn't know if he felt some kind of connection to Sirius or what, but this was far from the first time Hermione had walked into Sirius's room to find Remus already in there. Remus nodded and looked up at her. "Well, he doesn't have anyone listed as his emergency contact, and as far as I know he doesn't have any family." Remus nodded, the crease in his brow getting deeper by the second. "I thought about calling the officer you said got him off. What was his name?"

"Harry. Uh—Harry Potter."

"Yes, Potter," Hermione said with a nod. She still couldn't remember where she'd heard the name. "Do you think he would come? Do you think it would help?"

Remus shrugged and looked back down at Sirius. He brushed some hair off of Sirius's forehead. "I don't know. But I think it's worth a try."

Hermione looked at Remus with a slight tilt of her head. Then for a few moments she looked back and forth between Remus and Sirius. _Is he…?_

It was a stupid thought that crossed her mind and it made no sense at all. Remus didn't know this man—at least Hermione thought he didn't. He had seen this man on the news and had followed his tragic story. He'd been in the hospital for over a week now and all he did was sleep and stare. He would sleep for probably twelve to fourteen hours each day and when he woke, he would just stare at the wall. He hardly even moved. He was hooked up to an IV because he wouldn't eat on his own, but Remus was in here almost every day, trying to force food into his mouth. Remus brought him to the bathroom, Remus bathed him and changed his clothes, Remus talked to him, but Sirius never talked back. He never went to the bathroom on his own, never ate on his own, never bathed on his own. He was in some kind of catatonic state that Hermione couldn't diagnose. And yet… She knew it was stupid to think, but she couldn't get it out of her head.

_Remus is in love with him._

If anyone asked her point-blank, Hermione would have no trouble admitting that she often thought people were in love with each other. But she had the eyes for it. She could read people in a way that most people couldn't, and when she saw that look in another person's eye, she knew it. Of course, she had never been able to pick up on it in her own life, but in other people's lives she was an expert. The only time her love intuition had failed her was once during college when she tried to convince her friend that their professor was in love with her. Needless to say, it did not end well.

"Right," Hermione said, putting her own thoughts on pause. "Well, I'm going to give it a try. I'll keep you updated." Remus nodded and Hermione left them alone.

As soon as she got outside, she had a message from the surgical floor. They needed someone from psych to do an evaluation on a cancer patient. Hermione sighed. These types of evaluations were always the worst, and as she walked to the floor the patient was on, she dreaded each step.

When she got to the room, she had to actively work on not rolling her eyes at the sight of Malfoy standing next to his attending gynecological surgeon, Dr. Sprout, a short, round woman with a pleasant face and stern eyes. Ever since Hermione had gotten to St. Mungo's, Dr. Sprout had been one of the only surgeons that Hermione had taken a liking to. She could be harsh to her residents, but Hermione was certain she had never seen a doctor who had more care for her patients than Dr. Sprout. Hermione nodded to Malfoy and smiled at Sprout before she turned to the patient on the bed and the woman standing next to her.

"I'm Dr. Granger," Hermione said, holding out her hand for each of them to take.

The patient smiled. "I'm Minerva," she said. "This is my wife, Rolanda." Both of the women were in the later years of middle age with lines around their eyes and mouths. Minerva's hair—or, more likely, lack thereof—was covered by a colorful scarf. Her eyes were small behind square, black glasses, but her eyes seemed to dance when she looked at Hermione. Despite her dancing eyes, Minerva was clearly very sick. Her skin was incredibly pale with a tinge of yellow color, and her lips were almost white. Her skin looked as if it was just barely hanging onto her bones—a telltale sign that she had lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time. Her wife's hair was almost completely gray and cut short, and when Hermione looked into her eyes, it was almost as if she was looking into the eyes of a cat. Rolanda looked tense and strained, as if she hadn't slept in a long time, and when Hermione tried to give her an encouraging smile, the strain only seemed to deepen.

"Patient has been diagnosed with a stage four A uterine sarcoma. The tumor was unresponsive to chemotherapy, and grew as a result, spreading to the bowels, ovaries, and bladder. The best course of action—"

"And most dangerous."

Hermione looked up at Rolanda as she interrupted. Malfoy only paused for a moment before he continued reciting the patient history.

"The best course of action is to surgically remove the uterus and ovaries, and to resect the tumor from the bowels and bladder."

"Tell her the rest," Rolanda said with a look at Malfoy. "Tell her what the chances are." Malfoy's brow creased, but he did as she asked.

"Chances of survival are…" He looked at Hermione. "They're less than five percent."

Hermione nodded solemnly as Minerva put a hand on Rolanda's arm.

"Five percent!" Rolanda said loudly. "My wife's chances of survival are less than five percent. Why do we have to do this surgery?"

"Ro…" Minerva put a hand over the hand that Rolanda had placed on her arm.

"Minny, I don't want you to do this," Rolanda said, looking down at her wife.

"Well, that's why I'm here," Hermione interjected before an argument could develop. "I'll help you go over your options and figure out what the best course of treatment is." Hermione glanced at Malfoy and Dr. Sprout. Sprout nodded and waddled from the room, but Malfoy stayed. Hermione wanted to protest, but she figured it would be nice for them to have a surgeon present who could answer their questions more aptly than Hermione could if they had any.

Hermione pulled up a chair so that Rolanda could sit, and then she pulled one up for herself. Hermione sat down, and Malfoy stood at the corner of Minerva's bed. Rolanda did not sit. Instead she stood next to Minerva, clutching her hand tightly.

"I want to do the surgery," Minerva said as soon as Hermione looked up at her. "I know you're here to make sure that I'm coherent and of the right state of mind to make this kind of decision, but I am. This is my only chance, and I'm going to take it." Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but it was Rolanda who spoke.

"If you don't do this surgery, we could still have six months," she said desperately. "Maybe a year."

"And if this surgery works, I could have 20 more years," Minerva said, looking up at her wife. "And if it doesn't work, I would rather you remember me like this, instead of how you would remember me in the next six months. By the end you would have to bathe me and clothe me and feed me. I won't be able to do anything on my own—"

"What about Harlow and Hector? Think about them—"

"Who are Harlow and Hector?" Hermione interrupted gently.

"Our twins," Minerva said. She took her hand from Rolanda's and put her hands in her lap. She looked down at them.

"How old are they?" Hermione asked with a slight tilt of her head.

Minerva smiled as she studied her hands. Rolanda crossed her arms and walked to the window, brow furrowed as she looked out. Hermione glanced at her before looking back at Minerva. "Twenty-one," Minerva said. She looked up at Hermione. "They start their last year of college in September." Rolanda sighed and Minerva spoke to her back. "I want to see my kids graduate, Ro. I want to see them get married. I want to hold their children. Whether I die in six months or in a week, it's not going to happen. This surgery is the only chance I'll have." Minerva looked back at Hermione. "It took me a long time to realize I wanted kids. Ro had always wanted them, but I didn't. By the time I was ready, it turned out it was too late. Ro couldn't have kids and the IVF didn't work for me. Turned out it was because my uterus and ovaries were flooded with cancer, but they didn't know that then." Hermione could tell that Minerva was trying to remain cool about it, but it was clear to Hermione that she was bitter over all of it. "After hundreds of thousands of dollars, we were finally able to find a surrogate and a sperm donor that we wanted. Then the surrogate decided she wanted to keep the baby, and once again, our hearts were broken.

"Then we met Faye. Faye Sterling. She was a twenty-five year old investment banker from Orange County. She was smart and rich and beautiful and successful and so young. She had black hair and the brightest, bluest eyes I had ever seen. She didn't want kids. She said she was too young and was just beginning her life. She loved us when she met us, and said she couldn't wait for us to be the mothers of her child… When we found out it was twins, it was even more exciting, but I was so hesitant. After all the disappointment we'd had over those years, I thought it was all too good to be true. In a way it was."

Hermione was watching Minerva, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Rolanda seemed to wipe away a tear.

"We signed all the paperwork, and got everything ready. Although Faye wanted a closed adoption, she helped us pick out the colors for the nursery. Green. She helped us set up everything until she got too big to do anything." Minerva smiled as if she was picturing Faye in her mind, but then the smile slipped. "Faye died. In childbirth. She was so young and so beautiful. She had such an incredible life ahead of her. She ended up dying for the children she didn't even want. She died for us. We were in the room with her until the doctors made us leave. She…" Minerva took a deep breath. "Before they made us leave she grabbed my hand." Minerva clutched her own hand and looked at Hermione as if to show her. The look in her eyes was so fierce that Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away. "She said… she said 'love them.' Those were the last words of this girl who had given us so much."

Tears were falling down Minerva's cheeks, but she went on. "We had wanted to name the kids Arthur and Elizabeth—Betty for short. But we remembered one night when we were having dinner with Faye, and she told us that if she ever did have kids, she wanted to name them Hector and Harlow. Hector after her grandfather who had survived the Holocaust, and Harlow for the town her grandfather had moved to in England after the war. So… that's what we named them. Hector Arthur and Harlow Faye." When Minerva looked over at Rolanda, whose back was still to her but who was clearly holding in her urge to cry, she smiled through her tears. "They both have Faye's black hair and her blue eyes." Minerva looked back at Hermione.

"I started my life late," Minerva said, wiping away her tears. "Ro and I have been together since we were twenty, and she said over and over that we should get married, but I didn't agree until we were thirty-five. I finally quit being an attorney and started teaching a few years after that. We didn't have Harlow and Hector until we were forty-three. I started late, and I want more time. Six months isn't enough. And if I can't even live properly in those six months, then I need to try and get more time. It's the only way."

After a long pause, Hermione thought she heard Draco sniff, but when she looked up at him, he had turned away. She had to withhold a smile. He really did care about his patients. Warmth flooded through Hermione at the thought. Rolanda still stood looking out the window when Hermione spoke.

"Minerva, you say you want more time, but is a surgery with a 95% fatality rate really the best way to get it?"

Hermione saw Rolanda nod, and Minerva glanced at her before looking back at Hermione. "I started late, yes, but these last forty-four years with Ro have been the greatest blessing I could ever ask for. And the last twenty-one years with Hector and Harlow have been the best years of my life. They are the greatest gift I have ever been given. I've had a great and fulfilling life. And yes, I want more time, but if that time is only going to be six months of putting my family through hell, I would rather take my chances, have one more healthy week with them to… to say goodbye…" Rolanda released a small, choked sob, but Minerva continued. "Have this surgery, and then hopefully have twenty more healthy years with my beautiful wife and the incredible kids I have been blessed with."

Hermione regarded the older woman before she spoke again. "You understand that the chances of survival—"

"Dr. Malfoy and Dr. Sprout have explained that less than one in ten survive this surgery. I understand that and I accept that. This is what I want. It's easy for you and for Ro to tell me about the chances of survival and tell me to have six more months."

"I'm not telling you—"

Minerva held up a hand to silence Hermione and she continued. "To me, those six months are not survival. Maybe I'll be breathing, but I won't be alive. Either way I'll be dead, so I'd rather try and fight. I'd rather try and live."

Hermione nodded and Rolanda finally turned back to face her wife. "I don't want to lose you," she choked.

Minerva looked at her for a few moments before she opened her arms, and Rolanda went to her so they could embrace each other. When Minerva began whispering words of comfort to Rolanda, Hermione stood up and headed out of the room, gesturing for Malfoy to follow.

When they got outside and Hermione turned around to face him, she noticed him rub both hands over his face before he looked down at her. Hermione knew she shouldn't, but seeing him so vulnerable and so torn up over his patient… Hermione couldn't stop herself as she put a hand up to his cheek with a smile.

"Draco," she said. He looked at her for a long moment before he pulled her hand away. She felt disappointed that he didn't seem to appreciate her gesture, but when he held onto her hand after removing it, she felt her chest expand. "It's okay," she said softly. Malfoy then dropped her hand and turned around so that his back was to her.

"I can't do this," he said. She noticed that he couldn't keep his hands still. They were touching his face, his arms, his chest, his stomach, his legs, his face again, his arms. "They love each other so much. I can't let this woman kill herself."

Hermione walked up behind Malfoy and put two soothing hands onto his arms. He then crossed his arms so he could touch both of her hands as his head dropped forward. "Draco, you're a great surgeon. Dr. Sprout is a great surgeon. If she wants a chance to survive, you are the best person who can give her that chance. She knows the risks, and she wants you to try and help her anyway. It will be all right."

Malfoy turned around to face her, and Hermione smiled. He looked down at her for several moments, and Hermione did not break eye contact. She could feel the butterflies going mad in her stomach and she felt her cheeks flush as he stared at her so intensely. Her breath caught in her throat as he reached his hands up, cupped her face, and tipped her head back. He paused with his face close to hers for just a moment before he pressed his lips against hers. Hermione was so surprised that she stiffened and did not react at all. Her hands were frozen at her sides and her lips were stuck firmly in place. Then, as she breathed in and took in Malfoy's scent, she let her lips relax as she reached forward and bunched his scrubs in her fists at his waist so she could pull him closer. As soon as his body was pressed flush against hers and Hermione was finally giving in—although she couldn't quite explain why—Malfoy pulled away quickly. Hermione nearly stumbled forward, but righted herself quickly and gave him a questioning look.

Malfoy touched his mouth for a second before he started backing away. "Sorry," he said quickly. "I'm sorry," he said before turning and walking quickly away from her.

Hermione could only stare after him. She couldn't even begin to explain what had just happened. But as she brushed her fingers against her still tingling lips, all she knew was that she wanted it to happen again.

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter:<br>"Ginny," Harry breathed. "Look at me."  
>"Kiss me, Harry," Ginny sighed. And he did. <em>


	8. In Which Choices Are Made

_A/N: Greetings everyone! Just wanted to say thanks for reading and reviewing so far, and I'm glad that people seem to be enjoying this story. Also, this chapter is a lot shorter than I usually have, and it is strictly a Harry/Ginny chapter. I know you're all going to be mad at me because the last chapter was a slight cliffhanger and I'm making you wait even longer. Don't hate me PLEASE. Aren't you a little excited for more Harry/Ginny? We get to see what happened after Harry told Ginny he loved her and Ginny decided to call him that night. I know you all are dying to know what happened with Hermione and Draco after that kiss, but I'm still figuring things out for them, and I wanted to get something to you guys while I work on the transition in the Hermione/Draco story. I will definitely make it worth the wait. Next chapter, I promise you'll get more H/D. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: In Which Choices Are Made<strong>

"I'm glad you called."

Harry stepped out of his doorway and took Ginny by the hand. They did not take their eyes off each other as he pulled her inside and closed the door gently behind her. When the door was closed, she dropped his hand, leaned back against the door, and looked down, sighing.

"I shouldn't be here," she said.

He took a step closer. "Why?" he said, his voice slightly raspy.

Ginny looked up at Harry. He was standing so close to her. "If Michael ever finds out, he'll kill me."

"Ginny…" Harry said softly as he stepped even closer and brought his hand up to her face. There was only a light breath of space between them as she leaned into his hand on her cheek. "I'll never let him hurt you." Ginny looked at him and was incredibly moved by the sincerity and passion in his face, but she just shook her head and looked down again. She reached forward and began to play with a loose string on Harry's white button-down.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she said quietly.

Ginny felt Harry step closer to her, and his hands slowly moved to cup either side of her neck. She sighed as his hands slid up her skin, leaving a trail of fire behind. She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears as his thumbs caressed the lower parts of her face. She tilted her head to the side a bit, sighed, and let her eyes flutter closed as pressure from Harry's hands brought her face closer to his. She could feel his hot breath on her face and the warm heat from his body as she awaited what would come next. She heard him murmur her name softly, and she sighed again as her mouth parted in anticipation. They stood like that for a moment, not quite knowing where to go next, though they both knew exactly where they wanted it to go. Ginny wanted to feel what it would be like to kiss Harry. She had wanted it for so long. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to remember what it was like to kiss a man that she loved and that loved her and would do anything to show his love for her and keep her safe and warm. Little jolts of adrenaline were shooting through Ginny's body causing her hands and knees to tremble. She felt so weak and powerless in his arms, but not in the same way that Michael made her feel weak and powerless. It was the security of his closeness that made her feel powerless because she knew that with him, he had enough power and strength for the both of them.

Suddenly, a bolt of electricity shot through Ginny as she felt Harry's lips brush just ever so slightly against hers. She couldn't withhold a whimper and she craned her neck up so that their lips would meet more fully. Instead of feeling his lips on hers, however, she felt him draw closer and his lips pressed against her forehead. She tilted her head up to get more of that feeling of his lips pressing so gently but firmly against her. Then his mouth moved away just a bit and she felt his lips just barely touching her face as they trailed down to press a kiss to one of her eyelids. Then his lips moved away again, and when Ginny felt them press against her neck, she had to reach out and clutch Harry's shirt at his waist to keep herself from collapsing in his arms.

"Ginny," Harry breathed. "Look at me."

Knowing that she was powerless to what he wanted, she opened her eyes slowly, and the fire that she saw in his bright green orbs nearly took her breath away. Her breath caught in her throat and when she let out the breath, she noticed how shaky it was. His thumb brushed against her face again, and she pulled him tighter so that his body was pressed flush against hers.

"Kiss me, Harry," Ginny sighed. And he did.

With a quiet groan, Harry pressed his lips eagerly to hers and Ginny clutched his shirt even more tightly as his body pressed even closer to hers. Ginny sighed and tilted her head, encouraging Harry to deepen their kiss. His lips were so soft and perfect and they seemed to fit perfectly against hers, but she wanted more. She sucked lightly on his lower lip, and as if he knew exactly what she wanted, his tongue slid easily into her mouth and found hers. At the contact, passion ripped through Ginny and her knees nearly gave out underneath her but in that same moment—like he was reading her mind—Harry's hands moved from her neck and he wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist. She brought her arms around his neck and held tightly, trying to convey to him how much she needed his embrace in this moment and always.

Harry's tongue maneuvered in her mouth perfectly as if he had always known it—like he knew every curve and crevice and he knew exactly what she wanted. Ginny moaned quietly into his mouth between both her and Harry's heavy breathing, and Harry responded by lifting her up against the back of the door and wrapping her legs around his waist. His hands slid down to not quite under her backside so he could hold her up and when he pressed even closer to her, their mouths and tongues never leaving the other's, Ginny winced in pain and had a sharp intake of breath. Harry pulled his mouth away from hers but did not drop her to the floor. Despite the pain that had coursed through her because of Harry pressing a bit too firmly into her still tender ribcage, Ginny was still so aroused by the look of intense desire in Harry's eyes, making his pupils slightly dilated and making the irises a darker shade of green than normal.

"Did I hurt you?" Harry asked breathily.

Ginny's chest was heaving and she was pleased that, even through his worry, Harry's eyes flitted down briefly to her low neckline to glance at the breasts peeking a bit over it. When he had lifted her, her shirt had gotten tugged down, leaving the top of her breasts and bra exposed. His eyes quickly looked back up at her with worry.

"No," Ginny breathed. "Just… my ribs… they're still tender."

Harry's brow furrowed in concern, and he slowly moved his hands so he could put Ginny back on the ground gently. "I'm sorry," he said, voice hoarse. "I shouldn't have done that."

"I remember asking you to," Ginny said as she brought a trembling hand up to his cheek.

Harry took a step back from her and looked angry. "You didn't ask me to be so rough with you." He was angry with himself.

Ginny smiled. "You weren't too rough," she said. He took several steps back this time so that she was forced to drop her hand from his cheek and to her side.

"No, I was being an ass—"

"Hey," Ginny said, taking a step closer in an attempt to close the gap that Harry had created. "You don't have to treat me like some frail, fragile China doll. I won't break."

"Yes, you will. Michael has proven that time and again," Harry said as he took a step back to make up for the smaller space that Ginny had created. "I… I'm doing this… wrong," Harry said as he ran a hand through his already messy hair. "I… I pressured you to come here, and I pressured you into that."

"You did not," Ginny said firmly. After a few swift steps, she closed the gap between her and Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I came here because I wanted to. Because I needed to… needed you. And I asked you to kiss me. I wanted it, Harry. I wanted it more than anything… and I still do." She looked up at him and his eyes met hers. "I… I love you, Harry." She sighed and smiled when she said it, so happy that she finally said it. "I'm sorry I didn't say it when you said it earlier. I was just… I was scared."

"Do you mean it?" Harry said, face lighting up and taking a step forward so there was no space in between them. "You love me?"

"I've loved you since the moment I met you," she said as she looked up at him and smiled. He grinned widely and Ginny continued. "I'm here because I want to be with you—because I love you. I don't know how we're going to do it, but if you say you can protect me, I trust you. Harry…" Ginny stood on her tip-toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. He was slightly stiff in her arms, but she was determined to open him up again. She brushed her tongue against his lips, and with a groan, he gave in and brought his hands up to her neck again and tipped her head back so he could dive into her mouth. Ginny moaned and held him tighter as their kiss gathered heat again and their breathing picked up.

After several moments, Ginny pulled away, desperate for air, and Harry began to press soft kisses against her neck while murmuring that he loved her between kisses. Ginny tilted her head to the side to offer him more of her and when his tongue joined his lips, Ginny moaned and said his name. He growled and continued devouring her neck.

"I want you to make love to me," Ginny said in a breathy voice filled with need. Harry stopped and pulled back to look at her.

"Ginny…"

"Harry, I want you. Please."

"What about… last… what about what happened last night?"

Ginny shook her head and leaned forward. He did so as well so their foreheads were soon pressing against each other. "I don't want to think about that. I don't care about that… I just want you, and I know you want me." She pressed herself against him. "I can feel it."

"Ginny—"

"You're the only one who can make me feel better. You're the only one who can make me feel safe and beautiful and loved. I want you, Harry. I want to feel you… inside me… loving me."

Harry pulled his forehead away from hers and for a long time they just looked at each other. Ginny could see the desire in his eyes, and she tried to tell him with her own eyes that she was sure. And she was. She was more sure of this than she had been about anything in her life. She wanted Harry to make love to her, and she wanted it right now.

Without taking her eyes off him, Ginny took one of his hands in hers and walked backwards to the direction she knew his bedroom was in. He followed her silently, never taking his eyes off her. When her back hit his bedroom door, Harry stepped forward and pressed against her, bringing his mouth down to hers. She opened her mouth and immediately greeted his tongue. His hand trailed behind her and she stumbled back a bit as the door opened behind her. But he had his other arm wrapped around her in an instant, keeping her safe so she wouldn't fall. As she knew it would always be.

As they walked toward his bed, trying to keep their mouths attached as often as possible, Ginny pulled off her shirt right before she pulled off Harry's. He looked at her for a second before he bent down and swept her into his arms. Ginny yelped in surprise but smiled widely as Harry carried her valiantly to his bed. When he placed her on it gently, he climbed on after her in between her bent legs and kept his arms braced next to her so he could hover over her. He placed a soft kiss on her lips before he moved his mouth over to nibble at her earlobe. Ginny sighed with pleasure and arched into him as his mouth continued to move down to her neck. But he only stayed there briefly as well, and before Ginny even knew what had happened, her bra was thrown onto the floor and Harry's mouth wrapped around one of her erect nipples. Ginny moaned and arched into him.

He stayed there for a while, driving Ginny crazy with his teasing of her breasts, and Ginny could hardly take it. Her chest was heaving and her sighs of pleasure were frequent, until she put her hands on either side of Harry's face and pulled him up to her so their lips could find each other again. Without allowing their lips to leave each other, Ginny quickly moved her hands down to the buckle of Harry's pants and began working on it. There was so much adrenaline coursing through her body, however, that her hands were shaking and she couldn't keep them steady enough to use them properly.

"Harry," she sighed as his mouth moved to her neck. He hummed a bit in response, and Ginny gave up trying to get his pants off and ran her hands along the rippling muscles of his back. She loved the feeling of his muscles flexing and quivering under her touch. She could feel him hard and pressing into her, and she could tell that he wanted her, but she could also tell that he was holding back. She breathed his name again as she put her hands firmly on his back so she could bring him down on top of her completely. She immediately regretted that decision. Her rib cage screamed in pain at his weight on top of her and she winced violently, making Harry practically jump off of her. She was able to grab his waist before he could get off of her, so he braced his arms next to her.

"Ginny," he said in a breathy voice. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't—"

"No, it was my fault."

"We should just wait until you're healed."

"I don't want to wait." She knew the more she thought about being with Harry the more both she and he would talk themselves out of it. No, it had to be now. This was the moment she had been waiting for since she had met Harry five years ago, and she wouldn't let Michael's abuse ruin it. Then a thought suddenly dawned on her and she pushed Harry off. He sighed a bit and looked crestfallen as he climbed off the bed. Ginny climbed off and stood in front of him. She placed a soft kiss on his lips before she yanked him hard and made him fall on his back on the bed.

"What—?"

Ginny smiled as she straddled him. "I don't want to wait," she said again as she leaned in and kissed him. He smiled against her mouth and brought his hands to her hips. She began to grind against his hips lightly as their kiss deepened and she felt, rather than heard, Harry groan.

This time when Ginny's hands went to his pants, she made quick work of them, and as soon as the button and zipper were open, Harry was released, and Ginny was riding him and bringing him deeper and deeper. It felt so good that she wondered how she had gone so long without feeling him like this. She knew she was already so close but she never wanted it to end. Harry's hands were gripping her hips hard, and she knew he was going to feel guilty when she had bruises there later even though she would assure him how badly she had wanted it and how little she cared about his fingers digging into her sides.

She could tell that Harry was close as his eyes screwed shut and he muttered a string of curses. He warned her about how close he was and asked if she was ready. She rode him harder as she nodded, and when he brought his hand up to massage her sensitive nub, she threw her head back and moaned his name loudly. With each thrust, Ginny moaned and cursed, and it only took a few more moments before she felt sweet release. She released a sound that was somewhere in between a moan and a loud grunt as wave after wave crashed over her. Harry thrust himself up into her a few more times as she quivered violently, and when his release came he groaned loudly before he whispered Ginny's name and pulled her down. As their lips met again, Ginny thought for a moment that this was the happiest she had ever been in her life.

As Ginny crawled off Harry and cuddled up close to him under the covers, thoughts of what had happened to her—thoughts of Michael—were completely forgotten. All she could think about was sound of Harry breathing softly next to her and the feeling of being in his arms.

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter: Draco and Hermione deal with the aftermath of McGonagall's surgery. Someone comes to see Hermione, and Draco reacts.<em>


	9. One Step Back, Two Steps Foward

_A/N: First, thank you so much for all the reviews so far, and thanks to all who are reading along. Second, an update on the timeline of the story. __Right now, Ginny and Harry's timeline is different from Hermione and Draco's:_

_Michael rapes Ginny two weeks after she returns from St. Mungo's. Harry comes to see Ginny the next day, and she calls and goes over to his house that night (which was the last chapter). So, in their timeline, only about TWO WEEKS have passed since Ginny left St. Mungo's._

_Hermione and Draco have their coffee date about three weeks after Ginny leaves St. Mungo's. Draco makes the bet with Blaise that same day. A few days later, Hermione consults on McGonagall's case, and Hermione and Draco share a kiss. This chapter takes place a week after the consultation/kiss. So, in their timeline, about FOUR WEEKS have passed since Ginny left St. Mungo's. _

_In the next chapter, Harry will visit St. Mungo's for Sirius at Hermione's request. When Harry visits, he and Ginny have been carrying on their affair for about three weeks (FIVE WEEKS have passed since Ginny left.). After that, all the timelines will match up. _

_Hope this helps!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Days 8-11—One Step Back, Two Steps Forward<strong>

Why had he done that? Why had he kissed Granger? What the hell was he thinking?

_Well, you were thinking that you want to win this bet. It's been a week of nothing. Do you really want to be out two hundred dollars?_

Draco shook his head in order to get the voice in his head to shut up. He'd heard enough from that stupid voice. But if it wasn't that voice clouding his thoughts, it was the memory of his lips against Granger's that kept his mind completely occupied. He liked Granger. That was the bottom line, and he couldn't deny it to himself anymore. He was so scared of this surgery, and she had provided him with so much comfort. She really would never know what that comfort meant to him.

When he thought of this surgery he would be performing tomorrow morning that would decide the fate of an entire family, he was afraid. He wasn't sure why. He usually never got afraid before surgery. He was usually outrageously confident with himself and his abilities. If she hadn't told the story about those damn kids, Draco wouldn't feel this way. This woman deserved more time, and he wanted to give it to her. He had been preparing for weeks for this surgery, and tomorrow would be the day. And the only thing that gave him comfort was the thought of Granger's comforting words… and the thought of her lips against his.

He had to either get her out of his mind or into his bed, and since there was a bet riding on it (not to mention the fact that he desperately wanted it no matter how many times he told himself that Granger was just another woman), it would have to be the latter.

* * *

><p>Malfoy had been desperately avoiding Hermione since he had kissed her a week ago. She had been so busy with her caseload and caring for her patients that she hadn't had much time to think about it, but any time her mind had a moment to wander, she was brought back to that moment. He had been so vulnerable after hearing Minerva and Rolanda's story. When he had taken her face in his hands, her heart had nearly leapt into her throat, and that moment—that look he gave her right before their lips met—Hermione couldn't get it out of her head. She wanted to kiss him again even though she knew she shouldn't. She knew his reputation, she knew he was an arrogant, entitled ass, but her curiosity was getting the best of her. What would it be like? She was dying to see. And just when her thoughts started to run away from her, a voice interrupted her.<p>

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned around at the sound of her name being spoken softly. Her mouth nearly gaped when she realized that it had been spoken so softly by Malfoy.

"What's up?" Hermione was currently sitting at a table in the cafeteria getting a quick—and very late—dinner. She tried to retain her calm. Malfoy sat in the chair across from her, rather than the chair that was open right next to her. Hermione frowned slightly.

"McGonagall… You know, the woman with the uterine cancer…"

"Yeah?" Hermione knew what he was going to say. Her surgery had been today. Hermione could see what he was going to say in his eyes.

"She didn't make it."

Hermione felt as if a hand had clenched her heart. She had known what Malfoy was going to say, and she had known what her chances were, but it was still hard to hear. She had thought McGonagall would be one of the lucky ones. Malfoy was still wearing his scrub cap and his surgical gown. He must have just gotten out of the surgery. And she was the first person he had come to. Her heart fluttered in spite of everything.

"Her wife is sitting in the operating room with her. She won't leave. Could you… Could you talk to her?"

Hermione looked up at Malfoy and thought that in the weeks she had known him, he had never looked more vulnerable than he did right now. Even in that moment outside Minerva's room last week, he hadn't looked the way he looked now. He looked like a scared little boy who desperately needed her comfort. With a bit of hesitation, Hermione moved to the chair next to him and put a hand on his leg. She squeezed, and he looked at her strangely, but he didn't move away.

"We did everything we could," Malfoy said quietly.

"Of course you did. They understood the risks, and they came to terms with what might happen," Hermione said consolingly.

"I know, but—"

"Malfoy," Hermione said firmly. "You did everything you could." And with a small smile and a pat on his leg, Hermione stood up and walked away so she could go talk to Rolanda. She had to get away from him before she said or did something stupid.

"Granger."

When Hermione turned around to answer him, she instead let out a surprised "Oh!" when she felt arms wrap around her in a tight hug.

"Thanks, Granger," Malfoy said into her hair as his arms held her around the waist tightly. Hermione didn't really know what to do. She knew he was just feeling upset because of the surgery and that's why he was reacting like this, but she still felt confused and unsure. She felt like he regretted the kiss since he had clearly been resolutely avoiding her for a week, so why would he hug her like this? Hermione put her arms around his shoulders and patted his back hesitantly as he held onto her. Then, without letting her thoughts from the past week get the best of her, Hermione leaned in and smelled Malfoy. His skin smelled like soap and musk, and his hair smelled like cheap coconut shampoo, and Hermione was certain that his smell was the sweetest thing she had ever smelled in her life. Just as she was starting to get used to the feeling of his strong arms around her, he pulled away. "Thanks again," he said quickly before he turned and walked away.

Hermione couldn't help but humph in frustration as she watched him retreat. She wanted him to hold her like that again. And dammit, she wanted him to kiss her again. He was exactly the opposite of the guys that Hermione was usually interested in, and they had gotten off to a rocky start, and after that kiss, things were weird, but for some reason, Hermione was determined to get closer.

* * *

><p>"Ms. Hooch?" Hermione said as she approached the gray-haired woman in the empty operating room. She did not look up at Hermione. Instead she sat on a stool with her hands desperately clutching her wife and her head bowed on the operating table next to her wife's lifeless body.<p>

"I didn't want to do this surgery." Rolanda's voice was muffled.

"I know," Hermione said closely as she came up behind Rolanda.

"I could never say 'no' to her," Rolanda said with a short, humorless laugh. "I just… I love—" her voice broke. "I loved her too much," Rolanda said through a choked sob.

"Rolanda…" Hermione said softly.

"I c-can't do this," Rolanda said through her sobs. "I ca… I can't l-live without her." Hermione stepped forward and put a hand on Rolanda's shoulder and for a while, the older woman simply cried on her dead wife's body while Hermione stood still, trying to be a comfort when she knew she couldn't be.

Eventually, Rolanda sat up and wiped her tears away. She still didn't turn to Hermione. "We met in the 60s," she said as she brushed a hand across Minerva's face. "San Francisco in the 60s and 70s was its own world. I grew up in a small town in Arizona, and I moved to San Francisco for college. Where I grew up, it was unheard of for two people of the same sex to be together. There was no such thing as 'gay rights.' It… I didn't even know what it meant to be gay. All I knew was that I wasn't interested in any men that tried to date me." Rolanda paused as she continued to lightly stroke Minerva's still face. "When I was fifteen I kissed my best friend when we were having a sleepover one night. She never spoke to me again… Then I moved to San Francisco and it… was perfect. Minerva was a hippie." Rolanda smiled. "The biggest hippie you've ever met… and when I met her, my life changed. I haven't been the same s-since that day." Rolanda began to cry again, and Hermione stood silently behind her, waiting. After several moments, Rolanda finally turned to face Hermione, and Hermione could almost feel her heart break at the sight of her. She was certain she had never seen anyone look so anguished in her life. "What do I do?" Rolanda said as tears streamed down her face. "What d…"

Hermione bent down and wrapped her arms around Rolanda. Rolanda immediately pulled Hermione close and sobbed into her shoulder. Each agonized wail ripped Hermione's heart apart. When the crying began to subside a bit, Hermione gently pulled Rolanda up and pulled away so she could look at the woman.

"I saw Hector and Harlow outside," Hermione said as she brought her hands up to Rolanda's arms. "They're waiting for you, Rolanda…" Hermione inhaled deeply. "They need you," Hermione said as she exhaled.

Rolanda turned back to Minerva and put a hand on the top of her head, stroking her wife's hair. "What do I say?"

"There's nothing you can say," Hermione said quietly and bluntly. "You've lost your wife, they've lost a mother. But they still have you, and you… you still have them. All any of you can do is be there."

Rolanda turned back to Hermione and for a long moment, they looked at each other, and Hermione tried to give Rolanda comfort with her presence.

"I'm scared," Rolanda whispered.

"So are they," Hermione said.

Rolanda turned around and bent down close to Minerva's face. "I love you," she breathed as she began to cry again. "You were the spiritual one, not me… but no matter where you are, I know we'll be together again. I was born to be with you, and not even d… not even death can k-keep from you." Hermione felt tears sting her eyes as she watched Rolanda lay a kiss on Minerva's forehead. "I love you, Minny Mouse," Rolanda whispered against her forehead. And with one final kiss, Rolanda turned back around to Hermione, and Hermione took her hand as they left the operating room together.

When they exited the room, she saw Malfoy standing outside with his arms crossed and his jaw clenched tight. She nodded to him as she walked past with Rolanda. He smiled.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Hermione was walking through the psychiatric unit after doing some evening rounds when she spotted a tall red-headed man standing at the currently abandoned nurse's station.<p>

"Can I help you, sir?"

When he turned around, a nervous look spread across his face, and Hermione recognized him instantly. He was the brother of a patient she had had about a month ago.

"Dr. Granger—"

"Hermione," she corrected him. "Is Ginny all right?" she then asked quickly.

Ron Weasley shrugged and looked at the floor. "She won't really answer my calls, and when she does, she hurries me off the phone." When he looked up at her, she noticed how sad his blue eyes looked. He sighed. "But I talk to Harry a lot, and he told me she's doing okay."

A light bulb lit up in Hermione's head. "Harry Potter?"

Ron smiled weakly. "Yeah. He came to the hospital to visit Ginny. You remember him?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. Ron had finally helped her remember where she had heard the name before. He was the man she thought Ginny Weasley had been in love with. And he was the officer who had allegedly had an attempt on his life when he was a baby, only to free the man accused several decades later. Sirius Black, a man who was currently her patient in a room just around the corner. What a small world it was.

"What brings you back here?" Hermione said after a moment of silence. A look of concern flashed across her features. Ron smiled.

"You, actually."

"Me?"

"Yeah… well… I know it's been a while, but I… I wanted to thank you. For Ginny."

Hermione smiled. "Of course. But I was just doing my job," she said.

"Well, you're very good at it," Ron said.

"Thank you," Hermione said with a smile and a nod. There were a few moments of silence, and Hermione began to feel a bit of awkwardness in the air. "Well—"

"Um," Ron said at the same time Hermione began to speak. "I was just… wondering… Would you… Would you like to go out with me sometime… maybe?"

"Oh… Ron…"

"I mean, I know we don't really know each other," Ron said quickly. "But you… you seem great. And… you're beautiful and—"

"I think it might be a conflict of interest," Hermione said gently. Ron was right. They didn't know each other at all. And she had just moved to L.A. not long ago, and she didn't really have the time to start up a relationship during this transition period. She'd left Boston partly to escape relationship drama, and with her hours at the hospital, she barely even had time to do anything except eat and sleep when she got home. He seemed nice, and normally he would be exactly the kind of guy she would date. He was handsome enough, and he was kind, and he had a nice smile. But… Suddenly, a blonde head and a pair of grey eyes flashed in her head as the smell of coconut shampoo flooded her senses.

"Right," Ron said, interrupting her thoughts. He shook his head. "You're Gin's doctor… I don't… I was being stupid." Ron chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "So dumb… I've been trying to work up the nerve to come back here for a month, and I didn't even think this through." He turned away.

"Ron…"

"Look," he turned back to her quickly. "No. I know it's stupid, but…" he smiled and Hermione couldn't help but smile in return. He really was very sweet. He grabbed a pen and a post-it note from the nurse's station. "I can't just leave here without at least trying a little harder," he said as he wrote. Then he handed her the post-it and she took it with a grin. He smiled back. "That's my number. Just… I don't know. Maybe. If you change your mind… Call me, okay?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Ron…"

"Just don't say no," he said through his grin. "I'm not so bad. I've got a job. I work down at the LAPD with Harry. Forensics. I don't have a criminal record, I'm terrible at bowling, and I make a mean lasagna. It's really the only thing I can make."

Hermione laughed.

"Think about it," Ron said. Hermione smiled and nodded. Ron sighed happily and waved as he walked backwards. He bumped into a frazzled nurse, and she shot him a dirty look. Ron apologized as Hermione laughed and covered her mouth. He mouthed _'bye'_ to Hermione and she waved right before he turned to go.

"Isn't he cute?" a deep voice said in her ear.

Hermione jumped a turned around to see Malfoy standing close, leaning against the counter with an eyebrow raised.

"Malfoy," Hermione said with a frown. "Were you spying?"

"Can't really call it spying when you were clearly in public for all to hear," he said with a smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to go, but Malfoy moved to walk in step with her.

"Are you going to call him?" Malfoy asked. Hermione looked at him, but he was looking straight ahead. She could tell that he was trying to act casual. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Do you care?" Hermione asked.

Malfoy shrugged. "Don't see why I should," he said.

Hermione gritted her teeth and huffed in frustration before she sped up to walk ahead of him.

"Hey," Malfoy said with a laugh as he jogged a few steps to catch up with her. He put his hand on her shoulder and she whipped around angrily.

"You know, you have some nerve Malfoy," she said loudly. A few people who were walking by looked over at him. And with an angry grunt, she grabbed Malfoy's arm and dragged him into a nearby empty patient room. He crossed his arms as soon as they got inside and looked at her with an amused smirk.

"Geez, Granger—"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione said as she took a step closer to him with her hands on her hips. "You… you can't…"

"Use your words, Granger," Malfoy said, his smirk only widening.

Hermione growled in frustration. "Ugh! You can't ask me out for coffee. You can't come to me all vulnerable. You can't… you can't _kiss_ me. And you can't act like it never happened and ask if you should _care_ that another guy asks me out. You can't—"

Hermione was cut off when Draco grabbed her face between his hands and brought her mouth to his. Her hands went up in shock at first, but she responded not a moment later by wrapping her arms around Malfoy's waist and pressing up to him. His lips were so soft and they seemed to know exactly what Hermione's lips wanted. She knew she shouldn't. She knew she should pull away, but as soon as she got a whiff of his coconut shampoo, Hermione let her tongue slip out. It played across Malfoy's lips for a moment before he growled and opened his mouth and their tongues met for the first time. He tasted so sweet. And for a few moments she let the feeling of his tongue intertwined with hers sweep her away. She felt dizzy and her stomach was rippling and her fingers were tingling as she slid her hands up his sides and let her fingers clutch at his hair. He moved his big hands down to her hips and held her so close that she knew if he stepped back she would fall against him.

His mouth separated from hers for a heartbeat so he could catch his breath, but Hermione shook her head and breathed "no" right before she brought her mouth back to his. She wasn't ready for this to end yet. He smiled against her mouth, and she gasped in surprise when he picked her up, turned them around, and set her on the empty bed behind her. Hermione smiled right before their mouths met again, and she let her hands find his hair again as he wrapped her legs around him and leaned into her so she was at an angle with the bed. One of her hands slipped from his hair so she could use her elbow to prop herself up.

"Hermione," Malfoy growled as he moved his mouth away from hers and found her neck. Hermione arched and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly so she could use him for support. They were both breathing heavily, and when he found a sensitive spot on her neck, she moaned softly. He grunted and began to make small thrusting motions with his hips, and Hermione could feel that he was getting hard under his clothing.

"Draco," she breathed in between heavy breaths. He grunted in response and assaulted her neck further. His hands untucked her shirt from her skirt so they could slip under her shirt, and when she felt them on her stomach as they began to trail toward her breasts, Hermione said his name again, but this time she put two hands on his chest and pushed him away gently.

Malfoy dropped his head as she leaned away from him, and he tried to catch his breath. She watched him as his chest heaved, and she had the sudden urge to see what that chest would look like with nothing covering it. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, he was looking at her. The intensity in his gray eyes almost alarmed her. Her eyes flitted down to his lips. She bit her bottom lip and shifted her hips a bit. She noticed that his eyes watched her every move.

"We should…" she breathed.

"Yeah…" he said right before he brought his mouth to hers again. She put her hands around his neck and leaned back against the bed to bring him down with her. His hands slipped under her shirt again, and this time one hand slid up quickly to her breast. Before she knew what was happening, Malfoy pulled the cup of her bra down and massaged an erect nipple in between his fingers. Hermione broke away from the kiss as she tilted her head back and bit her lip in an attempt to stifle her moan. Malfoy began pressing open-mouthed kisses against her neck, and he continued to massage her nipple as he found one spot on her neck and began suck. Hermione was breathing so heavily that she was sure someone outside would hear, but her brain was too clouded to stop what was happening.

After a few moments, Hermione felt Malfoy's other hand trailing up her thigh and underneath her skirt, and with that, Hermione sat up as much as she could and pushed him away.

"We can't do this," she said, looking into his fierce, grey eyes with her hands on his chest. He tried to lean in to kiss her again, but she stopped him. "I'm serious," she said. "We can't do this. Not now. And not here."

Malfoy's head dropped in between them, and Hermione fell back against the hospital bed. Her shirt was still pushed up, leaving her stomach bare, as she brought an arm up to cover her eyes. Malfoy took a step back so that he was no longer between her legs.

"So…" he said after a moment.

Hermione let her arm drop away from her eyes so she could prop herself up on her elbows and look at him. He looked vulnerable again as he crossed his arms and looked at the floor, which only made Hermione want him again. She smiled at him.

"I think maybe you should ask me out," she said with a tilt of her head. He looked up at her and when he saw she was smiling, he grinned back.

"How's Friday?"

"Awful," Hermione said, still smiling. "I work all night."

"Me too," Malfoy said, still grinning as well. "Maybe we'll run into each other."

"Maybe," Hermione said. And with that, Malfoy turned and walked out of the room, leaving Hermione slightly dumbfounded.

As Draco walked away from the room with a satisfied smile on his face, he began to plan in his head what he could do to make both his and Hermione's Friday night better.

* * *

><p><em>Next Chapter:<em>

_Hermione finds out a secret, and Harry comes to visit his godfather._


	10. Game Changer

**Chapter 10: Day 14-15—Game Changer**

"So, how's it going with Granger?"

Draco smiled instantly. In fact, things with Granger were going better than he could have ever hoped. Since the kisses they had shared in the empty hospital room a few days ago, it had been coy smiles, knowing eyes, and accidental brush-ups against the other for the past three days. Once, when she had been down on the surgical floor and no one was around, he had reached around her as if to grab something from the nurses' station, and when she had smiled at the feeling of his body pressed against the back of hers, he had laid a soft, open-mouthed kiss on her neck. Her eyes had fluttered shut and she sighed softly, but Draco knew he had to pull away before he took her right there in front of everyone.

"Excellent," Draco said as he turned to face Blaise. "We have a date tonight."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "You work all night."

"When has that ever stopped me?"

Blaise chuckled. "You seem excited," he said.

At that moment, Hermione turned the corner and spotted Blaise and Draco talking. When she heard her name mentioned, she hid around the corner, listening and smiling.

"You seem pretty confident that you're going to win this bet," Blaise was saying. Hermione's heart sped up. _What bet?_ "You really don't want to be out two hundred bucks, do you?"

Draco laughed and shook his head.

"What?" Blaise said. "Getting cold feet about bedding Granger?"

Hermione felt as if her blood had run cold. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had been so stupid to think that Malfoy actually liked her.

"I just don't know how I feel about this bet," Draco said slowly. Blaise stared at Draco for several long moments as Draco kept his eyes resolutely on the clipboard he held in his hands, making notes occasionally.

"Oh, my god…" Blaise said with a look of slight horror on his face. "You _like_ her."

"What? No. No I don't," Draco said quickly.

"YES YOU DO! YOU LIKE GRANGER!"

"Blaise, keep your voice down," Draco hissed.

"I can't believe this," Blaise said, shaking his head. "I haven't seen you like someone since…"

"Don't say her name," Draco said angrily. Then, "Yeah, I like her, okay? So what?"

"Do you want to date her?" Blaise asked.

Draco turned back to his clipboard. "I don't know," he said.

"I do believe you are smitten by this girl," Blaise said with a chuckle.

"Shut up," Draco said.

"Well, if you like her, you can just give me a hundred bucks and we'll call the bet off."

"Fuck off," Draco said as he turned away. Blaise laughed.

"Draco, wait."

When Draco turned back with an annoyed look, Blaise suddenly looked sincere. It caught Draco off guard.

"Look, man, if you like this girl, we'll call the bet off. I just know you don't like women that easily. Not since Ast—" Blaise was cut off by a stern look from Draco. "Not for a long time," he said quickly to cover up his misspeak. Blaise put a hand on Draco's shoulder and they looked at each other for a moment before Draco suddenly laughed.

"Christ, you're gullible," Draco said.

"What?"

"I can't believe you fell for that," Draco said with a laugh, although he turned away to hide his face that he feared would betray that he was lying. He didn't know why he wouldn't just admit how he really felt to Blaise, but he couldn't. Blaise was right. Draco hadn't liked a girl—nor had he actually wanted to date a girl—in a very long time. He didn't even know if he was ready for Granger to be that girl either. _I mean, that kiss was incredible, and the way she moaned when I touched her…_ But he just didn't know. But he knew he wanted Granger, and if this bet was the way to give him his courage, he would keep it going as long as he had to.

"You mean you don't like her?" Blaise asked.

Draco laughed again. "Of course not, idiot."

"So the bet's still on?"

"Absolutely. And it looks like you're going to be out two hundred bucks pretty soon if I have any say in it. Sorry buddy," Draco said with a look of false sincerity on his face as he put a hand on Blaise's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah," Blaise said, knocking Draco's hand away. "We'll see how good you feel in a few weeks."

As Draco and Blaise continued to banter back and forth about the bet, Hermione had to hold back angry tears. She couldn't believe she had almost fallen for Draco's falseness. She had been so stupid to think that he would be different with her. But she had thought it anyway. With tears blinding her path, Hermione rushed back up to her unit, forgetting why she had even come down to the surgical floor in the first place.

* * *

><p>Draco smiled to himself as he placed the bottle of sparkling cider in the bucket of ice on the table. Somehow, he had been able to pull some strings with the nurses so he could get a small conference room to himself for about an hour to have dinner with Granger. He doubted that either of them would be able to stay for the full hour, but he had begged for the full hour anyway. He had had to pull out all the stops when he was charming the nurses. Samson had been the key.<p>

"_Come on, Sam…" Draco had said as he flashed his most flirtatious smile. "This could be the girl of my dreams. I would do anything for you if meant you would get the guy of your dreams."_

"_Hmm," Samson had said while trying to hide his smile. "I'll talk to the other nurses and we'll see what we can do." _

"_You're the best, Sam," Draco had said as he put a hand on Samson's arm. "I owe you one."_

Draco knew he shouldn't flirt so shamelessly with a guy he knew was attracted to him but never stood a chance. _But_, Draco had told himself, _just because he's gay that shouldn't stop me. I would do the same thing to a woman who stood no chance with me. Hell, I _do_. I'm an equal opportunity flirter._

With a smile, Draco put the flowers he had purchased from the gift shop into a tall glass of water. It wasn't a proper vase and the flowers were certainly not the best he had ever given to a woman, but it would all have to do. Despite the cheap flowers and the tablecloth that had "It's a Boy!" written all over it, Draco was impressed with his work as he stood back to admire it. He knew it looked pathetic from the outside, but he knew—or he hoped—that Granger would think it was romantic and thoughtful. He wanted to impress her more than he cared to admit, and he hoped that this date would help get them a step closer to what Draco wanted.

Draco sighed as he called to place the order for Thai food. He had asked Dorinda, a psychiatric nurse that he knew Granger was somewhat close with, what kind of food Granger liked, and Dorinda had recalled that every time Granger brought left over takeout to work, it was usually Thai. Draco had practically kissed Dorinda when she had remembered that Granger had mentioned her favorite place a few times. He was doing a good job with this date, he knew, and he knew that it would have any normal woman on her knees for him, literally.

But Granger wasn't any woman. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, Granger was special. She was funny and smart and beautiful, and Draco knew that his normal games weren't going to work on her. And to be honest, he didn't really want them to. He actually _wanted_ to work for it for Granger, and he wanted her to know that he thought she was different. He knew he should have called off the bet when Blaise had offered, but he couldn't admit to Blaise (or really to himself) how he actually felt. It was stupid, but he just had to keep this from Blaise for a while. Blaise was his best friend, of course, but if he admitted how he felt about Granger to Blaise, that would make it all so real and scary, and that would leave so many options open to make Draco vulnerable, and he knew he wasn't ready for that. Not yet. But soon. At least he hoped it would be soon.

In the half hour it took for the deliveryman to arrive, Draco did some follow-ups for Sprout. He had told her about his date with Granger tonight, and she was annoyed with him ("Didn't I tell you to stay away from her?") so she had given him busywork to do for the night and told him to stay out of her way for a while. Draco had just smiled at her and complied.

Once he had set all the food up and gotten everything ready, it was around 9 o'clock, and he knew that Granger usually took a break around this time, so he went to find her.

She was just coming out of a patient's room when she nearly ran into Draco. When she looked up at him, he smiled, but she simply turned away. _Must be having a rough night_, he thought. He hoped to change that.

"What's up?" he asked as he fell into step next to her.

"Nothing," she said quickly, making sure not to look at him. He frowned.

"Are we still on for tonight?" he asked.

"I don't think I can," she said shortly. "I'm swamped." She turned down a nearby hallway quickly and Draco jogged a few steps to catch her. When his arm wrapped around her wrist, she yanked it away so quickly that Draco stopped for a second and just watched her in shock. The change in her attitude from when he had just seen her a few hours ago was remarkable. He walked up next to her and looked at her. Her face was unreadable.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine."

"Are you sure? Because you seem upset," he said.

"Fine," she said again. "Just busy." Then she turned to go into one of her patient's room, and he just stood outside the room dumbfounded. Last time he had seen her, they had been flirting in the elevator. She had been batting her eyelashes and smiling sweetly, and he had winked at her right before he had wrapped his arms behind her and smelled her neck. He'd gotten a whiff of her perfume, and just as he had been about to take it further, the elevator door had opened, and they had pulled away quickly and gone their separate ways as if nothing had happened. What had changed?

As soon as Granger came out of her patient's room, she rolled her eyes when she saw Draco.

"I thought you would have gotten the hint," she said.

He stared after her incredulously as she walked away. It took a second for him to gather his wits and go after her.

"I'm just confused," Draco said as he walked up next to her. He came to a halt next to her as she stood at the nurse's station filling out a chart. "The last time we saw each other, you seemed… I don't know, you weren't like this." Granger said nothing and Draco went on. "I mean, I just thought… Well, I have everything set up for our date. I was able to get one of the nurses' conference rooms. It's small, but—"

"I'm not coming. I'm too busy," she said without looking up at him.

Draco was getting angry. "What's your deal?" he hissed at her. "When we last saw each other—"

Granger slammed her file shut and rounded on Draco. He took a step back.

"That was the last time you saw me, but that wasn't the last time I saw _you_," she said angrily. Her cheeks were reddening by the second, and Draco noticed angry red splotches popping up on her chest and neck. It only made her look prettier.

Draco was confused. "What do you mean?" he said slowly.

"I went down there. Someone needed a consultation. Then I thought I would try and find you. Well, I found you."

Suddenly, it dawned on Draco, and Granger seemed to notice the understanding on his face.

"You remember," she said hotly.

"Granger, look—"

"Don't bother," Granger said, holding up a hand. She turned to leave, but then she turned back, chest and neck more splotchy than ever. "You—" she huffed angrily. "I told myself it was stupid, but I did it anyway. I knew you were an ass. I knew your reputation. But I never thought… It was my own stupid fault."

"Granger. Hermione, please, you have to understand…"

"There is _nothing_ you could _possibly_ say that could make this better," she hissed angrily as she took a step closer to him. "Leave me alone, Malfoy. I'm done. You had your fun, and I'm sorry you're going to lose your little bet, but I'm done." And when she turned to go, Draco knew he had lost more than just the bet.

* * *

><p>Hermione practically stomped to the on-call room. She needed a second to calm down and breathe and think. Maybe she was blowing all of this out of proportion. It was just a bet. And it wasn't like she wanted to marry Malfoy or anything. Who cares? Well! It was just the nerve of him! The nerve that he could think that he could sleep with her to win a bet. Did he really think so little of her?<p>

But the way he had said her name. The crestfallen look on his face. _Please, you have to understand…_ He couldn't have faked that, could he? He seemed so sincerely upset that for a moment she had wanted to wrap herself in his arms and tell him it was okay. She wanted to smell his coconut hair and feel his lips whispering against her lips that he didn't mean it. That he took it all back.

And understand what? What did he mean, "you have to understand?" What is there to understand? He made a bet with his friend that he could have sex with her. There was no room for discussion. And she was so frustrated by how juvenile it all was. What kind of childish idiot made a bet that he could sleep with a girl? The man had to be at least 30. And maybe she shouldn't even care. She should just take it for what it was and move on. She had been stupid, and she was grown up enough to admit that and take the good with the bad and move on. But instead of moving on, her eyes suddenly flooded with tears, and she wiped them away in anger in frustration. There was no reason to cry, and she wouldn't let herself get upset over some guy she barely knew. But she did anyway, and before she knew it, she was sitting on the bed in the room crying.

It wasn't just Malfoy she was crying over. It was everything. It was the move. She missed her friends and she missed her parents. She missed Boston. She missed _home_. She hardly had any friends in L.A., and therefore no one to talk to about all of this. Her work was piling up, and it was stressful. She loved what she did, and she was so grateful to be doing it, but sometimes all of the pain and suffering just got to her. She was crying for Sirius Black and Ginny Weasley and Rolanda Hooch. It was just all so hard, and this whole thing with Malfoy seemed to be the thing that would make everything a little better. It was just all so hard, and she was so damnably tired. She barely slept four hours every night because even when she did get a chance to sleep, her brain was swarming. All she wanted to do was sleep.

And she did.

A little over an hour later, Hermione woke up in the on-call room to the sound of her pager going off. She nearly jumped off the bed, and she groaned when she saw how long she had been asleep. Before she left the room, she checked herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy and her make-up was smudged. She did her best to make herself presentable, and when she left the on-call room she just looked like she had woken up from a nap, not like she had been crying before said nap. She looked tired. And she was so tired.

After Hermione had answered her page and taken care of some other things (all while resolutely avoiding Malfoy at all costs), she made a very important decision. She wouldn't wallow in her misery over this stupid Malfoy stuff. She would get over him. And the only way to get over a crush was to get a new one. She had to make two phone calls.

And she did.

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much for coming in, Mr. Potter. I'm—"<p>

"Hermione Granger," Harry said, taking her hand. "I remember you. Thanks for all you did for Gin," he said with a smile.

Hermione returned the smile. "Just doing my job," she said. "How is Ginny, by the way?"

Harry looked down as he withdrew his hand. "Uh, she's good. Good. Pretty good."

Hermione chuckled lightly. "That's a lot of 'goods'."

Harry looked up at her. "What?" he said confused. Then he laughed. "Oh. Yeah."

"So she's good?" Hermione said with a small smile. Harry laughed again.

"Yeah." Then, "Well…"

Hermione tilted her head and regarded him. His eyes were mesmerizing. "What is it?"

"No, I shouldn't say anything, I just… I've been trying to get her to call you."

Hermione nodded in understanding and blinked slowly. "Well," she said looking back at Harry. "If she needs me, she'll call. But it has to be on her own time."

Harry let out a slow breath, and then he smiled. "So, where's my godfather?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Right," Hermione said with a wave of her hand. "This way." Hermione began walking toward Sirius's room and filling Harry in. "He's been here for two weeks, and he's been completely despondent since then. I've got one of the nurses looking after him and taking care of him, but it doesn't help." Hermione looked at Harry as they walked. "Do you know what could have happened to cause this?" They rounded a corner and Harry opened his mouth to respond when they almost bumped into another doctor coming around the corner.

"Granger."

Hermione looked up at Malfoy and felt her stomach flip. "Malfoy." She tried to sidestep him, but Malfoy moved in front of her.

"Can we talk?"

Hermione looked at Harry and then back at Malfoy. "I'm a little busy at the moment."

Malfoy looked back and forth between Hermione and Harry a few times. "Oh. Uh… Okay. Later?"

Hermione looked at him for a long moment. His grey eyes looked stormy and sad. And as much as she wanted to believe it was sincere, she didn't know. She didn't want to believe that he was sad over her. Maybe another one of his patients had died and he needed comfort. She didn't know, but she wasn't going to stick around to tell. After several moments of silence, she looked back at Harry.

"This way, Mr. Potter," she said as she walked past Malfoy. She wanted to look back at him. She desperately wanted to see his reaction, but she couldn't. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction just in case he was looking after her.

"That was… awkward," Harry said slowly. Hermione smiled.

"Sorry about that," she said.

"Boy trouble?" he asked with a grin. Hermione smiled and just shook her head. "Okay, you don't want to talk about it. You know, I just figure that shrinks always have to listen to everyone, but you know… who listens to them?"

Hermione looked at him and smiled. No wonder Ginny was in love with him. He was so kind and considerate. Something Michael surely wasn't, and something Malfoy wasn't either.

"Anyway, with what you asked earlier," Harry said as they came to stop outside Sirius's room. "He's been… not right since what happened. But after I got him off and everything, he got a little better. For a while he was staying at this facility to help with everything, and I would go visit him a couple times a week and we would talk, and he seemed like he was getting a lot better. But about three weeks ago—maybe less—I went to visit him one day and they told me he'd checked himself out."

"That would have been a little bit before he came here," Hermione interjected.

Harry nodded and went on. "He doesn't have a cell phone or anything, and I didn't know where he would go, and then…" Harry looked suddenly very sad. "I just got caught up in my own life, and I didn't think to check the hospitals or anything. I thought he just needed time away. And then three weeks had passed and I get a call from you saying that he's in the hospital. I'm sorry… I just… I don't know. I got caught up."

"You don't have to apologize. It's a natural thing that happens all the time. We naturally care about our own lives. There's nothing wrong with that." Hermione tried to give him an encouraging smile, but he still looked sad. "It's just good that you're here now, Mr. Potter."

"Harry," he corrected her.

"Harry," she said. "Do you want to go in?" Harry nodded.

As soon as they went in, Hermione wasn't surprised to see Remus sitting by Sirius's bedside. Every time he had a free moment, he was here. It looked like he had been reading to Sirius when they had come in. He stopped and looked up.

"Harry, this is—"

"Remus," Harry said as the older man stood up and they grasped each other in a tight hug. Hermione stood back with her mouth slightly open in shock.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Remus said as soon as they broke apart. "I should have called you as soon as Sirius got here, but I… I didn't think he'd want you to see him like this."

Harry nodded. "It's all right. I'm glad they brought him to your hospital," Harry said with a firm hand on Remus's shoulder. After they looked at each other for a few short moments, Harry looked down at Sirius and moved to his bedside. He grasped Sirius's hand. "What's wrong with him?" he asked as he looked into Sirius's blank eyes.

Hermione finally spoke up. "We don't know," she said as she walked to the other side of the bed across from Harry and Remus. "Nothing physical as far as we can tell. Right now we've got him on a pretty heavy drug cocktail. When they found him they said he was manic, but by the time he got here, he was like this and he has been since." Before Harry could ask more questions, Hermione spoke again. "I'm sorry. Do you two know each other?" she asked as she looked back and forth between Harry and Remus.

Harry looked at Remus, who sighed and smiled.

"I knew Harry's parents."

"The ones that were murdered?" Hermione said without thinking. Then she covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Harry. That was such an insensitive thing to say."

Harry only smiled. "It happened thirty years ago. It's okay to talk about it."

"I was friends with James and Lily and Peter… Peter is the one who conspired with Tom Riddle to kill them. Sirius… Sirius and I were together…" Remus finished slowly.

Hermione smiled. "I knew you were in love with him," she said.

Remus blushed. "I've been in love with Sirius for thirty-five years," Remus said. "But… I… I'm so sorry, Dr. Granger—"

"Hermione," she corrected. Remus smiled.

"I should have told you… I think he's like this because of me."

"Remus…" Harry said.

"No, Harry. This is my fault."

"You were scared."

"I was a coward."

"What happened?" Hermione asked gently.

Remus sighed. "After Sirius was released, he came for me. I hadn't seen him or spoken to him in thirty years. I… I thought he'd killed our best friends."

"Everyone did," Harry said.

"Not you!" Remus said angrily. Though he wasn't angry at Harry, he was angry at himself. "You believed in him. You trusted him. And as much as I told you to give up, you kept going. You were determined to find the truth, even though I told you the truth was in front of you. I was so quick to believe the worst of this man I loved so much." Remus looked down at Sirius and stroked his hair. "He came to see me and I turned him away. When he checked into that facility, he called me almost every day, asking me to come. I never did. Then…" Remus closed his eyes. "He checked himself out, brought all his bags to my place—I've lived in the same place for years. We used to live together… He said he was ready for us to start over, and I turned him away. I told him… I said some awful things. Things I didn't mean… I was such a coward."

"You were scared," Harry insisted. "If he could be proven innocent after so long, he could be proven guilty again."

Remus shook his head. "That's not true, and you know it. If I really loved Sirius like I thought I did, I would have believed him. I would have trusted him and loved him despite everything, the way I said I always would. I would have let him stay with me and we would have made up for thirty years of lost time. Instead I turned him away. The one man I had loved more than anything for thirty-five years—the man who had been my entire world—he came back to me and I turned him away. Words will never express the regret and shame I feel." Remus's eyes were brimming with tears, but none of them fell.

For several moments, none of them spoke. Hermione didn't know what to say. She could say that Remus had every right to react the way he did, but she knew he wouldn't listen. He needed to forgive himself on his own. It was the only way. Harry laid a comforting hand on Remus's shoulder, and Hermione watched as one tear slid out of Remus's eyes. After what felt like an eternity, the silence was broken.

"Remus…"

The voice was hoarse, and for the first time in weeks, the eyes were finally seeing.

Sirius Black was awake.

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter: <em>

_"If you want her, and if it really was about more than the bet… then prove it."_


	11. Ron

_A/N: Hi friends! Just want to say thanks for the reviews so far. This is a shorter chapter, but I should have the next one up fairly quickly. Let me know what you think and enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: Day 15 Evening—Ron<strong>

Later that night, Hermione's heart was still racing from everything that had happened earlier as she walked out of the hospital. She had spent hours running tests on Sirius and checking his vitals and asking him questions. Apparently he could remember anything from the time he had left Remus's apartment the night Remus had turned him away until he was brought to the hospital. He said for the weeks he had been in the hospital he had felt trapped in his own mind. He told Hermione, Harry, and Remus that he had spent those weeks reliving the day he was arrested and the thirty years that he was in prison. Occasionally, he had remembered good times before the arrest, and he said sometimes he could hear Remus's voice talking to him, but he thought it had been apart of his memories.

Although he tried to convince Remus over and over that he had not triggered his fugue state, neither Sirius nor Hermione could pinpoint what had caused his situation, nor what had brought him out of it. Hermione had asked him if he could remember walking by anything as he left Remus's or thinking of anything that might have triggered a psychotic episode, but Sirius could remember nothing. Hermione asked if he could remember hearing or thinking anything before he "woke up," but still, he couldn't remember. Although he could remember thinking about his time in prison and the arrest, the thoughts were all jumbled randomly in his head.

It was a complete mystery to all of them, and Hermione had brought other doctors in to consult, but no one could make any definitive judgments. The best one of her colleagues could come up with was that Sirius had seen something to trigger the psychosis and one of them had said something to trigger the end of it. Hermione had decided against telling her colleague that she had already considered and said all of that.

After she had called Harry last night, she had made a second call.

Ron.

At the moment, Hermione was leaving the hospital to head to a date she had made with Ron. She knew she'd made the date hastily, and she was probably using Ron to get over whatever she felt about Malfoy, but she told herself it was okay because under any normal circumstances, she would absolutely say yes to a date with someone like Ron.

She had been given the night off, but she had told Remus or Harry to call if anything changed with Sirius. She had changed into a tight-fitting, brown tube dress that complimented her eyes before leaving the hospital. She had also brought a white cardigan to wear over it, but the night was so warm that she was currently carrying it in her hand, while her small, beaded bag was draped across her body. Her gold heels clacked along the pavement with each step she took, and despite what had happened with Malfoy the day before, she was excited for her date with Ron. She hadn't dressed up and felt sexy in months, and when Ron got out of his car that he was waiting in in the parking lot of the hospital and his eyes went wide for a moment when he saw Hermione, she was happy with the decision she'd made.

"You look incredible," Ron said in a slightly awed voice as he held the door open for her.

"Thanks," Hermione said with a smile. "So do you."

As they pulled away, Hermione didn't notice that in the foyer of the hospital entrance, a tall, blonde man stood staring out the window after her.

A bit later, Hermione was sitting across from Ron watching his mouth move but hardly hearing a word he was saying. He was talking animatedly about something, and Hermione would smile occasionally or laugh when he laughed or nod when he seemed to be saying something a bit more serious, but other than that, if he asked her what he had just said, she wouldn't have been able to respond if her life depended on it.

She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't stop thinking about Malfoy. She barely knew him, and it wasn't like they'd been dating or anything, but still… The kisses they'd shared, the coy looks, the subtle touches… It was all she could think about. She wanted to forgive and forget. Really, she wanted to go back in time and never find out about the bet. She wanted to believe that Malfoy had real feelings for her. She wanted to believe that every touch, every smile was meant especially for her. When she'd left Boston, Hermione had promised herself that she wouldn't make the same kinds of mistakes that she'd made there, but then she'd met Malfoy and she had broken all her vows that she had made to herself. The fire he had ignited in her had forced her to forget, and now she wished she hadn't.

But she was here with Ron. And he was sweet. He had told her how beautiful she was more the five times already tonight, making Hermione blush. He had talked so energetically about his work and his family, and Hermione wished that she could listen. He seemed so kind and so sincere. If it had been a different time or a different place, Ron would be perfect. But all she could see was a pair of pale grey eyes swimming in her head.

"Hermione?"

Hermione jumped a bit when she heard Ron say her name. She sucked in a breath. "Yeah?"

"You haven't been listening to anything I've been saying, have you?" he smiled when he said it, but Hermione could see the hint of hurt in his eyes.

Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry, Ron…" she looked down at her barely eaten food. "I just have so much on my plate right now. It was unfair for me to come out with you when I can't even clear my head."

"Hey," Ron said gently, making her look up. He smiled. "Do you want to talk about it? That might make it better," he said with a shrug.

Hermione smiled. He really was so sweet. And it wasn't just Malfoy she was stressed out about. It couldn't hurt to talk to him about some other stuff that was on her mind. "I miss my family," she said after a pause.

"They're all in Boston, right?"

Hermione nodded and looked down again. "I'm not one of those girls who is best friends with her mom or anything, but I'm an only child, so I'm pretty close with my parents. Whenever I would have a stressful day in Boston, it would be nice to just go to my parents' house and watch TV with my dad or help my mom cook dinner." Hermione smiled at the memories but she suddenly felt overwhelmingly sad. She looked up at Ron. "I just miss them a lot."

"I understand that," Ron said.

"It must be nice to have such a big family so close to you," Hermione said with a smile.

Ron nodded. "It is. I mean, we're all older now, so we spend a lot of time apart, but we always have Sunday dinners at my mom and dad's. Even if we're fighting or we hate each other that week," Ron said with a laugh. "We always come together on Sunday nights. Mom always says 'leave all your problems outside. None of that in my house.'" Hermione smiled. "You should come sometime," Ron said suddenly. Hermione just smiled wider and tilted her head to the side a bit as he continued. "Yeah, you should. Ginny would love to see you. My whole family would love to."

He sounded so hopeful. And although the grey eyes flashed in her mind again, Hermione simply said, "I'd love to."

When Ron smiled, he reached across the table to put a hand on top of Hermione's hand on the table. Hermione turned her hand over so she could grip his. "I'm so happy you called me," Ron said.

"Me, too."

* * *

><p>"Dorinda!"<p>

The pretty, brown-haired, big-nosed nurse nearly jumped out of her skin. "Yes?" She turned around to face Draco. When she saw it was him, a blush immediately crept up her neck and face. "Dr. Malfoy, yes, what can I help you with?"

"Where's Granger?"

"She… She has the night off, sir."

"Don't call me 'sir,' Dorinda," Draco said. He paused for a moment before he continued. "I know she has the night off, but I saw her leave. Where did she go?"

Dorinda got even redder and she looked down at her hands. "Uh…"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Dorinda, look at me."

Dorinda looked up slowly, and if it was even possible, she got redder.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone," she said.

Draco regarded her for a moment. "You mean you're not supposed to tell me." Dorinda looked at him, but she didn't say anything, which effectively gave Draco an answer. He knew it wasn't supposed to, but the fact that Granger cared enough to tell Dorinda specifically not to tell him made Draco incredibly smug. She still felt something for him, and he wasn't going to let that go. But still it made him sad and angry, although he wouldn't admit to the former. He wanted to know where she was. He wanted to get her and bring her back from whomever she was with, and he wanted to hold her in his arms, smell her hair, and kiss her neck. He wanted _her_.

Draco sighed. "All right," he said. "I get it. I know I have no right to ask… I just…" Draco shrugged, offered Dorinda a small smile, and turned to go.

"Wait!" Dorinda called after him with a slight desperation in her voice. When Draco turned back, he noticed how torn she looked. "Look…" She sighed. "I shouldn't be saying any of this to you, but… Hermione is sad. She's been sad so often since yesterday, and it's your fault." Dorinda looked like she regretted the last part of what she said. "I'm sorry," she said.

Draco chuckled. "No, you're right. I'm an asshole. Go on."

Dorinda smiled weakly. "She went out with Ron Weasley—"

"Ginny's brother?" Draco remembered the bumbling idiot from a few days ago when he had stupidly asked Hermione out, and she had said no, followed not long after by a heated make-out session between him and Hermione. He could feel a burning sensation in his stomach at the memory.

Dorinda nodded. "She likes him all right, I think, but… but I know she still likes you, although I don't know why."

"Hey!" Draco said, laughing.

Dorinda looked horrified. "I'm so sorry. That slipped out."

Draco continued to laugh as he shook his head. "It's fine. I like this honest side of you. Please, by all means, continue. Tell me what's on your mind. I need to hear it."

"I shouldn't say anything else," Dorinda said.

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked stern. "Dorinda," he said.

She sighed again and continued. "You… Dr. Malfoy, you're a great doctor. You're amazing with your patients, and your surgical record is fantastic. You're very charming and handsome…" Dorinda blushed again.

"But?" Draco said, smiling.

Dorinda waited a moment before continuing. "The way you treat the women in this hospital is despicable! You wine them and dine them and charm them until you get what you want, and then you dump them. And none of them seem to care, and I don't understand why because it's gross what you do. And I know this is how it's been since… before… but you can't keep doing this—not to Hermione, anyway. She doesn't deserve it. She likes you, I can tell, but you can't do to her what you do to every woman in this hospital. You can't. But she's so terrified that you will, and I don't blame her because I've seen you do it a million times." She paused to take a quick breath. "It was stupid of you to make that bet, and even though I can tell you like her, too—I see the way you look at her—you have to prove it. She's not going to forgive you easily, so you have to prove that the way you acted to her was about more than the bet. You… You have to prove it."

Everything had tumbled out of Dorinda's mouth so quickly that Draco's mouth was slightly agape when she finished. Dorinda didn't even look embarrassed anymore. She looked more indignant than Draco had ever seen her look.

"If you want her, and if it really was about more than the bet… then prove it."

And with that, the shy nurse that Draco had known for years but who had barely spoken more than two words at a time to him in all that time, walked away defiantly, head held high. Draco couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ron were walking down a street in her neighborhood after they had finished dinner and dessert. A few minutes earlier, Ron had slipped his hand into Hermione's, making her smile.<p>

"I always wanted a twin," Hermione was saying to Ron as he walked her home. "I was an only child, so I wanted siblings period, but I especially wanted a twin. They have this weird and amazing bond that no one can understand. I always wanted that."

"I know what you mean," Ron said, nodding and smiling. "My brothers Fred and George are twins, and I was always jealous of them."

"Which one is Fred?" Hermione asked with small head tilt.

"Oh, he died six years ago."

"Ron." Hermione stopped walking but kept her hand in Ron's so he stopped and looked at her. He had a small smile on his face, but Hermione knew she had to have a look of shock on her face. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"It's fine," Ron said. "I brought it up, not you. I miss my brother every single day. I miss his stupid grin and his stupid jokes and the stupid way he always called me 'Ronoold' instead of 'Ronald.' But it was a long time ago. I can talk about it."

Hermione knew that tears were stinging her eyes. _Ronoold, _she thought. That had to be the sweetest thing she had ever heard. She squeezed his hand and continued walking again. "What happened to him? If you don't…"

"I don't mind at all," he said. "He was in the army. He was killed while he was doing a tour in Iraq. Stupid idiot. I told him not to enlist, but of course, he never listened to _Ronoold._"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh as they turned down her street. She covered her mouth to try and hold back the laughter.

"No, don't cover it up," Ron said with a smile as he reached up pulled her hand away from her mouth. "I love your smile."

The laughter faded away and only a light smile remained as Hermione stopped walking and moved to stand in front of Ron. She looked at him for a moment before she slid a soft hand onto the back of his neck and pulled him down to her for a kiss.

His lips were urgent when they found hers, and she put her other hand lightly against his chest to perhaps tell him that she wasn't going anywhere. His hands slid around her waist as her head tilted to the side to meet his lips more fully.

The kiss was so sweet and so was he. And while her heart fluttered a bit, she didn't have that same burning, maddening, torturous feeling when she had kissed Malfoy. His lips had formed to hers as if he had known exactly what she wanted. He had taken control of the kiss and made her feel helpless in the best way possible. She didn't want to compare it, but when she opened her eyes and thought for a second that Ron's hair was blonde in the moonlight, she had to pull away from him gently.

"I had a great time tonight," she said as he kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead against hers for a moment. She smiled and pulled out of his arms. "This is me right here," she said, pointing to the apartment building a few steps away. He led her to the front door and turned back to her.

"I can call you, right?"

Hermione smiled. "Of course," she said.

He smiled and leaned in to place another chaste kiss on her lips.

"Thank you for an amazing night," Ron said. Hermione smiled as he turned to go.

If only she could get her mind off _him._

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter:<em>

_Draco takes Dorinda's advice, and Ginny comes to see Hermione. _


	12. ReGroup

**Chapter 12: Day 18-19—Re-Group**

Draco Malfoy sat in the hospital cafeteria, watching patients and their families and doctors and nurses walk past him. For the past three days, Draco had been unbearably distracted. He begged the attending surgeons for any work they could give him; surgeries, rounds, post-ops, consultations, anything. Most of them (all but Dr. Sprout) were all shocked but happy and more than willing to give Draco all of the work they didn't care to do. It was also good for him because the surgeons saw him taking initiative and therefore more often wanted him on their service. That meant more surgeries than Draco could possibly fit into what little time he had, but he was grateful. Anything to get his mind off Granger.

Draco could be an asshole, that was certain. And he was stubborn and arrogant. He admitted all of this freely. But despite those qualities, Draco could always acknowledge when he'd fucked up. And he had certainly fucked up this time. For the first time in years, Draco had met a woman that he liked and wanted to get to know, and he had fucked it up with that stupid bet. He was smart—he'd gone to a good college and a good med school—and he had known—or should have known—exactly how a bet would end. He had seen movies and television shows with this exact plot. Boy meets girl; girl wants nothing to do with boy; boy makes a bet with friend that he can get girl; boy and girl start to actually like each other; girl finds out; girl hates boy. Yes, he had seen it all before.

Of course, the minor detail he certainly didn't forget was that at the end of those plots, the boy was always able to woo the girl into forgiving him and living happily ever after. Granger would forgive him.

Wouldn't she?

From the way she'd been acting for the past several days, Draco had a feeling that if she _did_ decide to forgive him, it wouldn't be anytime soon. Every time he tried to talk to her, all he got was a grunt or an eye roll followed by her walking away from him immediately. Once he had even pestered her enough to get a "fuck off, Malfoy." But instead of that discouraging him, it excited him. He could still make her react. That was all he needed.

After he'd talked to Dorinda, he had made up his mind to find a way to get Granger to forgive him. When he realized that she would rather walk off a bridge than talk to him, he decided he would have to do it without talking. At first he thought that would mean seducing her, but after he had surprised her by pulling her into an on call room and pressing his lips and body against her own lips and body, he realized that he needed a different tactic. Although for the briefest of moments she had sighed and sagged a bit in his arms, a moment later, she had shoved him off of her and punched him hard in the groin. When he had felt the pain course through him, almost making him throw up, he realized that may not have been the best approach.

Draco put a cold French fry in his mouth as he sat thinking about Granger. The only way was to do it without talking to her, but he would have to talk to her eventually. He had to apologize and explain.

Explain what, though?

"_Sorry I'm a dick. Forgive me and love me forever?"_

No, that wouldn't work.

He would just have to think of something later.

* * *

><p>Hermione was currently sitting alone in one of the nurses' lounges in the psych unit. She usually came to the nurses' lounges because there was a chance she could talk to Dorinda or Remus. She was still an outsider with the other psychiatrists in the unit because almost all of them had done their residencies together, and she was the new girl. But Dorinda and Remus were more than welcoming. Dorinda always had a story to tell, and Remus always had an ear to lend. They were so opposite, Dorinda and Remus. Where Remus was calm and had a deep, soft, rumbling voice, Dorinda was nervous and squeaky. Where Remus would smile warmly and chuckle, Dorinda would giggle like a mad woman. Despite their differences, she couldn't imagine what her life at St. Mungo's would be like if not for Remus and Dorinda. Although Dorinda was nervous and giggly, she was the kindest and most generous person Hermione had ever met. And of all the people she had ever known, no one had ever given her the kind of sage advice that Remus had for her almost daily.<p>

At the moment, however, she was alone, but she desperately wished that one of them was there with her. She could use a hug from Dorinda or a shoulder to cry on from Remus.

Hermione sighed.

She had to get her mind off of stupid Malfoy. Things with Ron were progressing nicely. Since their date a few days ago, they had been texting and facebooking and emailing. He would send her the cutest pictures of little puppies or ridiculous news articles that he would read. He would text her just to see how her day was going. He had even called her one night after she got home from work, and although she had been exhausted and had eventually fallen asleep on the phone with him, it had been such a nice conversation. Things with Ron were just… easy. He wasn't an asshole like Malfoy. He wasn't arrogant like Malfoy. He didn't flip his hair in that stupid way that Malfoy did. He didn't smirk like Malfoy. He wasn't childish like Malfoy.

He wasn't Malfoy.

And wasn't that the problem? Hermione sighed again. Ron wasn't Malfoy. That should have been a good thing. And sometimes it honestly was, but even when she had first met Malfoy, she had felt their chemistry. She had felt that passion that boiled in her stomach from their first encounter. He had lit her on fire since the first day she'd met him. Ron wasn't boring… That wasn't it. He was just nice and safe and normal. But even the thought of Malfoy kissing her or touching her sent her head spinning and her heart racing and her stomach burning. She didn't want it to be so, but she couldn't help what her mind, heart, and body were begging her to give in to.

A day or so ago, Malfoy had tried to drag her into an on call room, which Hermione guessed was his way of trying to patch things up. In that moment, when his mouth found hers and he had pressed her body in between his body and the wall, she had wanted to give in. And for a moment, she almost had. She wanted him to lift her up and take her against the wall. She wanted that more than anything in that moment, but a moment later, her brain had caught up to her body, and she had pushed him away. But even after that, when she had gone home that night, she couldn't stop thinking about the way even that small encounter had made her feel.

All she knew was that she had to get over this infatuation with him. He was bad for her. He was dangerous, and all he would do is hurt her. She knew that. So then why was she constantly thinking about him? His eyes, his hair, his lips, his voice, his body, his hands and what they felt like when they were on her. It was all she could think about, and she wanted it to stop. But even though she told herself she didn't want to think about him, she knew it wasn't true. She wanted to forgive him. She wanted—

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted when someone came into the nurses' lounge.

"I knew you would be in here."

"Hi, Dor," Hermione said with a smile. She saw that Dorinda was carrying a vase full of flowers as she walked toward the table that Hermione was sitting at. They looked beautiful, and Hermione thought she saw some lilacs in the arrangement. Lilacs were her favorite. Hermione felt a jolt of jealousy rush through her. "Are those from Judd?" Hermione asked, referring to Dorinda's husband.

Dorinda smiled as she put the vase down on the table and sat down across from Hermione. Dorinda shook her head. "They're for you."

"Me?" Hermione felt herself smile as she pulled the flowers closer so she could smell them. They smelled so good and fresh. Ron really was sweet.

"There's a card," Dorinda said, still smiling.

Hermione pulled away from the flowers and turned the vase around so she could pluck the card out of the arrangement. Hermione opened it, and as she read it, her eyes went wide.

"What does it say?" Dorinda asked.

Hermione blinked and looked up at Dorinda before she looked back down at the card.

"'I'm sorry. I can't stop thinking about you,'" Hermione read.

Dorinda opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, Hermione stood up abruptly, grabbed the vase of flowers and the card and turned to walk out of the room. "I'll see you later, Dor," she said before she rushed out of the lounge.

* * *

><p>Draco had just made it back to the surgical floor to begin doing some post-op work for an attending surgeon when he saw slightly frizzy, curly, light brown hair of the woman he hadn't been able to get his mind off of for over a month.<p>

"Granger," he called out to her, knowing she was looking for him.

Granger whipped around, and Draco saw a vase of flowers in her hands as she narrowed her eyes and stomped over to him.

"What the hell is this, Malfoy?" Granger asked, holding up a card in her hand.

"A card?"

"I know it's a card! Why did you give me these?"

"I… I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Draco said. When he'd sent the flowers, he admitted that he thought she would have immediately forgiven him. But seeing her here now, he realized he was wrong, and he felt a bit sheepish.

With a sound between a grunt and sigh, Granger waved her hand to gesture for him to follow her, and she walked briskly into the nearest room, which happened to be a supply closet.

"Granger—"

"Shut up," Granger said immediately. She set the flowers on a shelf and turned to Draco. She stared at him for a few seconds before she brought her hands up to his face and pulled his face to hers. As soon as their mouths met, Draco grunted and grabbed Granger's hips to pull her close. She whimpered quietly, and Draco felt a rush of excitement shoot through him. As soon as he opened his mouth against hers, however, she pushed him away and took several steps back.

"What—"

"I shouldn't have done that," Granger said as she brought her hand up to touch her lips gently. She put her hand down quickly when she saw Draco staring at her. He couldn't take his eyes off her lips. He wanted them. "Why did you send me those?" Granger asked, gesturing towards the flowers.

"Because I'm sorry," Draco said.

"You could have just said it instead of sending me flowers."

Draco scoffed and looked at her incredulously. "Are you serious? Every time I got even a little close to you, you would run away or tell me to 'fuck off!'"

"Gee, I wonder why," Granger shot back.

"I'm sorry about the bet, Her—"

"Oh, the bet…" Granger said sarcastically as if she had just remembered why she was upset. "Tell me about this bet."

"Hermione—"

"No, Malfoy, I want to know. I heard you tell Zabini that it was for two hundred dollars."

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me," Granger said quickly. And when Draco looked at her, he could see that she wasn't being sarcastic anymore. She was being serious, and she wanted to know about the bet.

"I…" His heart was hammering in his chest, but he knew she wouldn't be able to forgive him unless she could get closure about this damn bet. "I bet Blaise that I could sleep with you in one month."

Granger raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Sleep with me in one month for two hundred dollars… So, what, you have two more weeks?"

Draco looked at her. She wanted an answer. "Twelve days," he said.

Granger nodded and turned to go.

"Granger, wait—"

Draco tried to reach out and grab her hand, but she yanked it away quickly. "How about this, Malfoy?" she said as she rounded on him. "When the twelve days are up, maybe then I'll believe that you're being sincere about this apology."

"Hermione…"

"No," was all Granger said. She turned to go again, but she paused for a moment. Without looking at him, she picked up the vase of flowers and the card and walked out. He knew he shouldn't, but at that, Draco felt hopeful.

* * *

><p>Hermione hadn't read the whole note to Dorinda.<p>

_I know these pale compared to your beauty, but I hope they'll do for now. I'm sorry. I can't stop thinking about you._

She didn't want to, but she kept reading it over and over and over. _I can't stop thinking about you._ She desperately wanted to believe he was being sincere. He had seemed so sincere, but she couldn't be sure. How could she know if this wasn't all about the bet? She couldn't know. She would either have to wait until the month was up and see if he was still interested, or she would just have to trust that he was. She could really use some advice from her mother or her father or Remus.

Hermione's pager went off and she looked down at it. She apparently had a phone call at the psych unit's main desk. She tried to clear her mind of Malfoy as she made her way over there.

"There was a phone call for—"

"Hermione Granger," the woman at the desk said with a quick smile. She shoved the slip of paper in front of Hermione, and Hermione took it quickly from the obviously busy woman. She muttered a quick thanks and walked over to the phone at the other end of the desk. Hermione looked down at the slip of paper.

_Ginny Weasley on line 3,_ the note said in loopy scrawl. Hermione's brow creased as she picked up the phone and pressed the button for line three.

"Ginny?"

"Hi, Dr. Granger."

"Hi, Ginny. Are you okay?"

"_Yes… well… I was just—I don't know, things have been a little… crazy… I could really—I mean, I know you're busy, but you said—you know, you told me when I left the hospital—"_

"Ginny, do you want to come in for a session?" Hermione interrupted Ginny's rambling and got to the point she knew Ginny was trying to make. "Or we can just grab lunch. Whatever you want."

Hermione heard Ginny sigh on the other end. _"Okay, that would be great. Thank you."_

"I've got some free time tomorrow afternoon around 2 o'clock. Does that work for you?"

"_That's perfect. Thanks."_

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione's brow was even more creased than it was when she had picked up the phone. Ginny had sounded incredibly vulnerable on the phone. They would definitely need a more formal setting than just lunch, she could tell. She remembered Harry telling her that he had been telling Ginny to come in and see her. She knew she would be wondering why until tomorrow.

Several minutes later, Hermione made her way to Sirius Black's room, and she smiled when she saw him and Remus together in the room chatting. He hadn't left the hospital yet in case he were to have another episode, and he and Hermione had decided to have daily sessions to talk through the things that had happened to him. They had only had two sessions so far, and Hermione was still trying to gain his trust. So far they had only talked about Sirius's youth. She had discovered that he'd had a younger brother that had died decades ago, and they had grown up with overbearing parents that had always viewed Sirius as the disappointment of the family. In yesterday's session, they had just barely started talking about when Sirius had first met James, the friend he had been accused of murdering. That's where they would start off today.

"Hi Remus. Sirius," Hermione said when she walked into the room.

Remus looked up midway through a laugh. He had his hand on Sirius's leg, and Sirius had a hand resting on Remus's. When Remus looked up at Hermione, Sirius kept his eyes on Remus. Hermione smiled.

"Hi Dr. Granger," Remus chuckled. Hermione gave him a stern look, and Remus nodded, still smiling. "Hermione," he corrected himself.

"Hey Hermione," Sirius said, finally tearing his eyes away from Remus.

"Are you ready for our session?" she asked Sirius. He nodded.

Remus stood up and said "Okay, I'll see you later," before he leaned in to place a kiss on Sirius's lips. When Remus tried to pull away, Sirius held him close and hummed as he pressed his lips into Remus's. When Sirius deepened the kiss, Hermione shook her head with a smile and looked down, not wanting to intrude on a tender moment. After a few moments, Remus pulled away, and Hermione looked up again. She saw that Remus had a deep flush on his face.

"Sorry doctor," he said as he stepped away from Sirius.

Hermione simply shook her head at him for calling her 'doctor' and waved him out of the room.

"You two seem happy," Hermione said as she sat in the seat that Remus had just vacated.

A slight frown replaced the smile that had just been gracing Sirius's face. "I can tell that he's still scared. It's a lot easier that I'm in here, I think," he said. "We'll see what happens when you let me out of here."

"The best thing for you and Remus will be for you to heal completely while you're here, so you can go back to him healthy and whole again," Hermione said.

"You're a lot like Remus, you know," Sirius said suddenly. Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"How so?" she asked.

"You're both very guarded, and you're so afraid of getting hurt that you hardly take a chance on anyone."

"What makes you say that?"

"I see the way you get when Dr. Malfoy comes around. And Remus told me the gossip about you guys."

Hermione frowned. "Maybe Remus and I just learn from our experiences. Maybe it's just that every time we've ever taken chances, we've been let down."

"No, not every time," Sirius said firmly. "Maybe sometimes when you take those chances you can get hurt, but those times that it pays off, it _really_ pays off. Right?"

Hermione paused for a moment. "Do you want to talk about you and Remus today?" she said to change the subject. "Or do you want to keep talking about James?"

Sirius chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, you are like Remus. You both know how to evade and change a subject when you don't want to talk about it. Especially when you realize that the other person has made a good point that you'll have a hard time refuting."

"Okay, okay," Hermione said with a small smile. She paused and continued. "So, you and James were close right away?"

"It was like we had known each other our entire lives…"

About an hour or so later, Hermione and Sirius were finishing up their session.

"That's when James and Lily started to fear for their lives," he said. Hermione waited for him to continue, but when he didn't, she spoke up.

"Do you want to stop and pick up here tomorrow?"

Sirius nodded. She could tell that their session had worn on him. She could only imagine how he would feel tomorrow.

"Would you like me to send Remus back in?"

Sirius nodded again. Hermione looked at him for a moment before she stood up next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know we haven't talked about this yet, but there's something I need to say and it's something you need to hear and repeat to yourself every day," she said. He looked up at her. "No matter what you might think, James and Lily's deaths were not your fault."

"I—"

"No matter what you think," Hermione repeated more firmly, "their deaths were not your fault." He opened his mouth to protest again, but Hermione said, "Sirius." And with a stern look, she turned and left the room.

* * *

><p><em>You look beautiful today.<em>

Hermione had found the note in her locker after her rounds that next morning. She knew it had to be from Malfoy, and she knew it was a way of getting back in her good graces, but she couldn't help but smile and hold the note close to her chest anyway. She read it over a few more times before she placed it on the top shelf of her locker, right next to note that he had attached to the flowers he had gotten her the day before. The flowers were currently sitting on her kitchen table in her apartment. She told herself it was because the flowers were beautiful, not because they were from Malfoy.

Throughout the morning as Hermione met with patients and consulted on different floors in the hospital, she would find herself making her way back to her locker just so she could look at Malfoy's notes. She knew she was finding every excuse she could to make trips to her locker, but every time her mind wandered, she would picture the little notes in her locker and she would find herself being drawn to it like a moth to the flame.

Then, later that morning, she had been walking on the surgical floor when she had seen him. She had tried to keep her guard up—eyeing around corners before she turned down a hallway or checking the surgical board to make sure she would only be on the floor when he was in surgery—but she had been so distracted by thinking about his notes and his flowers and thinking about her upcoming session with Ginny, that her guard had been temporarily down when she looked up and saw him walking toward her. She looked back down quickly, but when she knew he was about to pass, it was as if her head was acting on its own volition as it lifted up and she made eye contact with him.

"Good morning," he said with a small, sincere smile.

"G…good morning," she spluttered out. Her heart was in her throat and there was a burning sensation in her stomach. When he passed, she stopped and turned to watch him walk away. She wanted to run to him and leap into his arms. She wanted to kiss him and feel his arms around her. When other images of what she wanted him to do to her entered her mind, she went to turn away, but just as she did, he turned back. When their eyes met again, he smiled a bit bigger this time, but his eyes looked a bit sad. She could tell in that moment that all the things she had been thinking… he wanted them, too.

* * *

><p>"Have a seat, Ginny," Hermione directed Ginny into one of the rooms that the hospital had set up for these types of sessions. All of the rooms like this were small so they could fit more in, but they were cozy. It was more dimly lit than the rest of the hospital so that it would have a more intimate feel. The carpet was tan and shaggy, and there were some paintings on the dark teal walls. Against one wall there was a long, brown leather couch and a matching armchair sitting caddy corner from it. There were other various relaxation items and medical equipment in the opposite corner. Other than that, it was just Hermione and Ginny, and immediately, Hermione could tell that Ginny was tense as she sat down on the couch.<p>

"It's been a while since we've seen each other," Hermione began as she took a seat on the armchair. "It's been…"

"Six weeks," Ginny finished for her.

Hermione nodded and smiled. "How have you been?"

Ginny laughed humorlessly. "Let's just say it's been a long six weeks."

Hermione tilted her head. "How so?"

The look on Ginny's face indicated to Hermione that she had regretted her previous comment. She wasn't ready to talk about whatever it was she actually came to talk about. Hermione asked another question.

"How are your injuries? Are they healing okay?"

"You're asking if he's hit me since I left and made them worse," Ginny said.

Hermione shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay physically. But if you want to talk about Michael's abuse…"

"He hasn't been hitting me."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "That's… good." Hermione could tell that Ginny wasn't giving her the full story. "Have you been fighting at all?"

"Not since…" Ginny started then stopped.

"Not since when?"

When Ginny didn't speak, Hermione spoke again, a bit more softly. "We don't have to talk about it. But you came for my help, right?"

There were several moments of silence. Ginny was looking down at her hands and Hermione was watching Ginny. She looked nervous and scared, but there was another emotion that Hermione couldn't quite read. If she wanted to find out, she would have to get Ginny to start talking. Hermione was about to speak again when Ginny spoke.

"Things were good… for a while… He had been kind and doting." Ginny paused. "Then, about two weeks after I came back from the hospital, I… You know it's strange," Ginny said, looking up at Hermione. "Sometimes, I can tell when he's going to hit me. Some nights when he comes home it's just this vibe… I can tell." She paused again. "That night I could tell. We fought, and I let him provoke me into fighting back. He hit me. And then… Then he, uh…" Ginny took a deep breath. "He raped me."

It felt as if a fist had just clinched Hermione's heart. "Okay…" She said slowly. "Ginny, I'm so sorry."

And to Hermione's surprise, Ginny smiled as she looked back down at her hands. "In a way, what he did—what he's been doing to me for a long time… It was a blessing." Hermione tried to hide her shock, but Ginny was too busy looking at her hands to notice her. "If it wasn't for his abuse, I would have never found it in me to…"

"To what?" Hermione couldn't stop herself from interjecting.

Ginny continued to study her hands. "After that night, Harry came to find me. Every time Michael knocks me down, Harry has always been there to pick me up. I know it's dangerous, but… Since the day after Michael raped me, Harry and I have been having an affair."

Hermione wanted to shout—in anger, joy, fear, excitement. It was incredibly stupid, what Ginny and Harry were doing, and it could get both of them killed by a man who clearly had psychopathic tendencies. But at the same time, Ginny deserved this. She deserved Harry, and it had been so obvious to Hermione that she was in love with him. The rape, Harry—it was exactly what Ginny needed to leave Michael. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Ginny continued.

"I know how dangerous it is." The smile she had previously worn turned into a look of pure fear. "I know I should just leave Michael, but I can't. He'll kill me, and if he finds out I left for Harry, he'll kill Harry. I can't… If anything every happens to Harry because of this, I'll never forgive myself… But Hermione," Ginny looked up at her. "Hermione, I have to leave him. I have to leave him before… I just—I can't be with him—not now…"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "Because of Harry?"

"No… well, yes. Michael is dangerous. He'll kill me if he finds out."

"If you fear for your life, there are steps that can be taken," Hermione said. "You're right, though. If he finds out about Harry, he will not be happy."

"No, it's not just Harry…" Ginny said quickly.

Hermione was confused. "What do you mean? I mean, no, I understand, the abuse—"

"No," Ginny interrupted. "I…" She inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I'm pregnant."

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter:<em>

_Ronoold comes for a visit. Draco does not like it, to say the least. _


	13. Draco Fights Back

_A/N: Hey everyone! First, thanks as always for the feedback. This story has definitely been an experiment for me and I'm so happy to see that everyone has been enjoying it so far. Keep reading and (hopefully) enjoying, and let me know what you think! _

_Second, I'm sure a lot of people know that FF(.)net has finally decided to enforce their ratings policies. I don't know what's going to happen, and I don't know if my works will be considered M or MA (it's so ridiculously subjective) but just to be safe, I've decided to start uploading my current stories to adultfanfiction(.)net and livejournal. That means that this story and "The View From Now On" (my other "in progress" Remus/Sirius story) will be moved to those sites. I will still keep updating here as well, but in case anything happens, my username at both sites is the same as my ff username (blackkisbackk) and you'll be able to find them there. Eventually, I'll upload all of my stories there, but for the time being, just those two will be put up. _

_And finally, I'm dying for some **fan** **art** for this story. Something with them in a hospital setting or whatever (any scene from this story would be great really). If you're interested, let me know!_

_So, as always, if you have any questions for me about anything, just let me know! Thanks!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: Days 24-25—Draco Fights Back<strong>

_You should smile more often. I love your smile._

This time the note had been attached to the front of the top of her stack of charts when she had picked them up in the morning. It had been a busy day today. She'd been consulting with patients, working on the surgical floor and in the clinic, and she'd been talking with colleagues about some of her cases. She'd been doing rounds, teaching interns, and doing write-ups about her current patients. She was exhausted, but she still found herself in places she knew Malfoy might be. She knew she was doing it. She knew she was making excuses to go to the cafeteria when she wasn't hungry, and she knew it was strange that a doctor from psychiatry was lurking around outside the operating rooms, trying to stage a casual run-in. She wanted to see him. She _had_ to see him.

It had been a week since he had given her the first note, and she had thought that would be it. She thought the flowers and the note were his way of apologizing and he was waiting for her to come to him and accept. She had hardly seen him except when she was consulting with other surgeons and their patients. She hadn't consulted on any of his cases, and she didn't know if that was a coincidence or not. Then, he had been out of the hospital for a few days working on a case with his attending surgeon at another hospital nearby (she had learned this after hounding Dorinda to find out where Malfoy was when she realized that he was no where to be found). Usually, she would manage to spot him at least once every day—more, if she was lucky. Every time she would pass him, her heart would leap in her throat, and she always wanted to talk to him or simply reach out and touch his arm. She knew that she had told him to apologize when the bet was up, but she didn't know if she could wait another minute, let alone another week.

Yes, a week was too long. This past week had been torture with him being away and her barely being able to find him when he wasn't. Yet, this week hadn't been horrible. As much as she just wanted to talk to Malfoy, she had still been seeing Ron since their date. They talked on the phone or texted back and forth whenever she got some free time. He would always text just to see how her day was going. Once, her phone had rung later in the night when she had been in hot pursuit of Malfoy. She had practically thrown herself into the nearest room when her phone had gone off loudly, causing Malfoy to turn around. She was certain he had spotted her, but when she had glanced out of the room after him, he seemed like he hadn't thought anything of it. She didn't really know why she had been following him to begin with. Originally, she had just wanted to get a glimpse of him—that if she could just see him, that would be enough—but she had gotten lost in thought thinking about the musculature of his back and the curve of his neck.

She liked Ron. He was kind and easy to talk to. But he just didn't make her feel the way Malfoy made her feel. Glancing at Malfoy's back was enough to make Hermione get lost in thought about what it would feel like to run her nails down it in the heat of passion. She simply didn't have that passion for Ron, and she knew it. She knew she should call things off with him, but she wasn't ready to give up the comfort he gave her just yet. It was easy and nice. One night he had come over late to watch a movie after Hermione had gotten home from the hospital, and she had fallen asleep against him. She had woken up to the smell of banana pancakes. It had been so nice. But Hermione couldn't forget the night before when he had kissed her so eagerly and she hadn't felt a single spark.

Hermione sighed when she looked up from the floor of the hallway she was walking through and realized that her feet had carried her once again to the surgical floor. She had no business down here and yet here she was. This had happened to her so many times over the last week that it didn't even surprise her anymore. She just wanted to get one glimpse of him, she thought as she walked through the halls. She tried to walk with purpose so no one would suspect her, while her eyes darted, trying to find him.

* * *

><p>Draco peered around the corner of the hallway that Granger was currently walking through. When she turned the corner, he rushed down the hallway to see where she was going next. As he watched her, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He knew she was looking for him, and he knew she had been doing so for over a week. The day after he had given her the first note, Blaise had told him that he had seen her on the surgical floor wandering around with no apparent purpose. The second time Blaise had seen this, Malfoy had found Dorinda and asked her what Granger had thought of the flowers and the note. After some significant coercion, Dorinda had told him she kept the notes in her locker and she had caught Granger looking at them more than once. When he had gone to consult at Cedars-Sinai, Dorinda had practically bum-rushed him the second he got back, telling him that Granger had ordered her to find out where Draco had gone. The woman was clearly invested in Granger and Draco now, and Draco had grinned like a madman when she had told him everything.<p>

A few days ago, even, he had been walking down a hallway—strutting, really—knowing that Granger was following him. He had seen her reflection in the window to a patient room, and he'd felt like a giddy schoolboy knowing what she was doing. When her phone had gone off, he had looked back quickly and seen her dart into a nearby room. Instead of following her and calling her out on what she was doing, he had simply smirked and walked away.

He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to kiss her. But he knew he couldn't. Not yet. He would have to wait for her to come to him, or she would never think that it wasn't about the bet. Draco hadn't told Blaise about anything yet. Although he told his friend that the bet was off, he hadn't answered any of the dozens of questions that Blaise had thrown at him after he'd told him.

The other day, Draco had almost given up his vow to let her come to him. He had seen her in the cafeteria, her hair slightly frizzy and cascading across her shoulders effortlessly. She'd been wearing a professional, but formfitting grey dress that had left her milky but lightly freckled neck and chest bare. What he wouldn't have given in that moment to kiss her neck and let his mouth trail down to her chest. He was ready to give up his vow to himself at the image of her head thrown back in ecstasy while he nibbled and sucked on the sensitive parts of her neck while her dress was hiked up around her waist and her legs were wrapped around him. The image was so clear and vivid that Draco had to practically run from the cafeteria to get away from her.

Largely, though, Draco had been trying to avoid her. He knew she was looking for him, but he figured that the more she searched and didn't see him, the more she would _want_ to see him. He hoped that want would drive her right back into his arms.

Along with the note he had given her today, he had ordered another nurse to find Granger whenever he had a chance and give her an envelope. Inside it, were three small pieces of paper that told Hermione various things about himself. He wanted her to know him, and if she wouldn't talk to him, this was the best way to do it. She would break eventually, and when she did, he would be ready.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Granger?"<p>

Hermione turned around to see a nurse looking at her expectantly. She had just gotten back to the psych ward after being unable to successfully locate Draco. She would just have to go back later. She had to see him, if only for a moment.

"You have a visitor," the nurse said before she turned and pointed behind herself with her thumb. When the nurse walked away, Hermione had a clear view of Ron standing at the nurses' station with some brown bags in his hands.

"I brought you lunch," he said with a smile when he walked up and placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips.

"Oh, Ron," she said with a smile. "You didn't have to do that." She took one of the bags out of his hands and led him forward, trying to find a secluded place. She was disappointed that she hadn't spotted Malfoy earlier, but she truly was happy to see Ron. And she had skipped breakfast since she had woken up late at Ron's, so she was starving.

"I know you don't have a lot of time, but I know you skipped breakfast, so I thought we could eat together quickly."

Hermione nodded and turned into the empty break room. As soon as she closed the door she turned around and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and put her lips to his. He brought his own hands around her waist and responded to the kiss eagerly.

"You're so thoughtful," she said when she pulled away, still in his arms. He smiled.

"And I got the food from your favorite café," he said. Hermione lifted the bag that she had in her hand around Ron's neck and looked at it.

"Yes you did," she said before she placed another quick kiss on his lips before she pulled away. She was being so stupid with Malfoy. Why on earth was she trying to follow him around everywhere just to look at him when she had a great guy like Ron who was so incredibly thoughtful and good to her when they'd only been seeing each other for a few weeks.

When they both sat down and started pulling out the food from the bags, Ron was chatting happily with her about his day. Hermione interrupted him when she leaned across the table and kissed him. He looked up at her with surprise as she sat back in her chair and smiled at her food.

"What was that for?" he asked with a grin.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm just happy you're here. And you got all my favorite things."

And while Ron continued to talk about his day and ask her questions about hers, Malfoy was temporarily forgotten. Ron was great, and the fact that she was still pining after a guy who had bet his friend that he could sleep with her in a month was just evidence to Hermione that if she gave into her desire for him and gave up Ron, she was complete idiot.

* * *

><p>"She's in there with him right now."<p>

"What are they doing?"

"Just eating lunch."

Draco nodded after Dorinda had given him the report. Draco had followed Granger up to psych, and had hidden around a corner when he'd seen Weasley with bags in his hand. When he had seen Weasley kiss her, he had practically seen red, and he had almost charged forward and pummeled him when he had felt small hands wrap around his arms and pull him back. Dorinda had talked to him soothingly for several minutes, trying to calm him down before she said she would go see what they were up to and report back if that would make him feel better. It wouldn't, he had assured her.

"I'm going to go in there," Draco said.

Dorinda shook her head. "You can't."

"Why?" Draco snapped. "She's been following me around for a week. She wants me. She shouldn't be seeing him when it's obviously me she wants." Dorinda was looking at her hands nervously and Draco narrowed his eyes. "What?" he said to her.

Dorinda looked up at him then back down again at her hands quickly when she noticed the fierce look in his eyes.

"What is it, Dorinda?"

Dorinda opened her mouth and closed it a few times before she spoke. "I… It's just…" She bit her lower lip. "He makes her happy, Dr. Malfoy. He's nice to her. He brings her lunch."

Draco gaped at her. "_I_ could make her happy. _I_ could be nice to her. _I_ could bring her lunch. I gave her flowers and notes. I've been trying everything to prove to her that I'm not that guy that she thinks I am. You know she wants me more than she wants him. You know she does."

Dorinda nodded quickly. "I know. I know she does. It's just that… Well, Ron—"

"_Ron_," Draco scoffed.

Dorinda gave him a dirty look, and Draco raised an eyebrow with a smirk. He loved making the little mousy girl so angry. "Ron has a clean slate," she said. "It's easier for him to be nice to Hermione and for her to believe it's sincere. You… Y-you fucked up." This time, both of Draco's eyebrows went up. "I'm sorry, Dr. Malfoy, but you did. And you'll have to work harder to prove that you're sincere."

"Am I not proving it?" Draco said angrily.

"You're off to a good start, but you can't possibly expect her to forgive you so easily. You did a bad thing."

Draco rolled his eyes. "That bet was nothing. It was never about the fucking bet. I liked her before the bet and she made me mad by assuming that I was an asshole—"

"So you thought the best course of action was to prove her right?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at her again, but sighed and said nothing. He knew she was right. Every time they talked about Hermione, she was always right.

"Just keep working at it," she said with a pat on his shoulder. "She'll come around."

* * *

><p>A little bit later, Draco had left Dorinda, and he knew she was right. He knew that he would have to work harder to prove that he was sincere, and he knew that Granger wasn't just going to give up a seemingly nice guy who had already fucked her over when he had only known her for a month and a half. He knew Dorinda was right, so why was he so angry? As he stormed to the surgical floor, everything Dorinda had said had seemed to escape his mind while the image of Granger kissing Weasley was firmly burned there. He wondered what they had done together since they had been dating. When the image of Weasley's hands on Granger flashed through his mind, he thought he might black out from the anger that had coursed through him and caused his stomach to burn and ripple with anger. He was literally shaking with anger as he stood pacing in the on-call room.<p>

In that moment, he made up his mind.

He couldn't take it anymore.

* * *

><p>Hermione held her hand to her mouth as she read the contents of the envelope that the nurse had given her. She knew it was from Malfoy—who else in the hospital would do this? The nurse had given it to her as soon as she had said goodbye to Ron and walked him out. Now she was walking back to her locker, reading the notes.<p>

He was trying to let her get to know him. She could tell that was what he was doing. He was trying to get her to forgive him, and she had to admit that it was working. She wanted to know more. So much more. Just when she had resolved that there would be no more of this—that she was happy with what she had with Ron and wanted to see where it could go—Malfoy had shown more of himself to her, and now she was right back where she'd started.

Each note was folded once, and each had "First," "Second," or "Third" written on the outside, indicating in which order she should read them.

_When I was younger, I wanted to be a librarian. I loved books then, and I love them now._ Hermione felt her heart warm when she read the first note. That was something she and Draco had in common. Hermione had never wanted to be a librarian, but she adored books of all kinds. She loved biographies about historic figures, she loved political books, she loved textbooks, and she loved a good fiction book as well. She would read all day, every day if she could. When she was in grade school, one of her teachers had always said, "The more you read, the smarter you get." The teacher had instilled a love for books in all her students and since then, Hermione had been obsessed with gaining as much knowledge she could through books. She had never taken Malfoy for a book lover, but then, there was a lot about him that she didn't know, and there was a lot she wanted to know.

_I'm afraid of the dark,_ he had confessed in the second note. That had made Hermione laugh before she had covered her mouth. Draco had to be at least thirty years old, and he was still afraid of the dark. And he was confessing it to her. Hermione couldn't believe it.

Hermione realized that was trembling slightly when she unfolded the final note.

_I've never known a woman as beautiful as you. I know I messed everything up, but from the moment I met you, I've known you were one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen._

Hermione's heart was hammering in her chest. As she walked to her locker, she read the notes over and over while her heart continued its rapid beating. She was on her third read through when she got into the room. When she looked up, her breath caught and her heart stopped beating for a few seconds before it began to beat again, even faster than it had been beating before.

"Malfoy," Hermione breathed. "I—"

Malfoy took several steps toward Hermione, causing her breath to catch again when he ended up just over a foot from her. "I want you to break up with Weasley."

"What?"

"I know you've been following me around the hospital. I know you have feelings for me. I have feelings for you, too, and I want you to break up with Weasley and be with me."

Hermione closed her eyes and held up a hand. "Wait a minute." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "How do you even know about Ron?"

"I saw you with him."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "So, who's following who again?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "You've been following me, haven't you?"

Hermione opened her mouth and closed it before she said, "No."

Draco nodded. "Okay, so you weren't following me on the surgical floor earlier, and you haven't been pacing around outside OR's that you think I'm in, and that wasn't your phone that went off the other day when you were following me?"

Again, Hermione opened her mouth and closed it a few times, but this time she didn't say anything.

"I want you, Granger," Malfoy said after a moment.

Hermione opened her mouth and paused. She wanted to tell him that she wanted him, too. She honestly did. Instead, she looked up at him defiantly and put her hands on her hips. "Well, you can't have me." She moved to walk past him but he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Is that right?" He said as he walked her back and pushed her against the wall of lockers. He put his hands on either side of the lockers next to her head and looked down at her body. From his position, he could just see the tops of her breasts. He brought one hand down and placed it on her thigh. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back against the lockers as he ran his hand up her body until it was underneath her arm just below her breast so that his thumb could reach up and trace the bottom curve of her right breast. Hermione sighed and arched a bit right before her eyes flew open and she tried to duck underneath his other arm. He reached out and grabbed her and shoved her back to where she had just been.

"Let me go," she said in a raspy voice.

"No," he said right before he leaned in and put his face just inches from her. If she wanted to, she need only tip her head up slightly and capture his lips with her own. He leaned in so that his body was pressed flush against hers, and she sighed. For weeks she had been craving contact from Malfoy, and now she would finally get it.

Malfoy then turned his head to the right so that he could trail his nose along her jawline. Hermione tilted her head to the side to expose more of her neck to him. She had to put her hands on him. She wanted to feel his arm or his leg or his stomach or his face. She needed the contact. But just as she was reaching up her hands to wrap them around his waist, he brought his hands to the back of her thighs and lifted her against the lockers so her legs were wrapped around his waist, and her dress was hiked up to her waist. She moved to put her arms around his neck, but he put his hands around her wrists and lifted them above her head, slamming them against the lockers.

"Put me down," she breathed as he pressed even closer. And although her mouth said it, the way she practically moaned the words indicated that that was the last thing she wanted him to do. He leaned in so close that their mouths were almost touching. Her mouth parted in anticipation and her eyes flitted down to his lips, waiting. She was breathing more heavily than normal and her heart was thumping. When was he going to kiss her? Her skin was on fire and lips were practically twitching with anticipation. She had been thinking about nothing but his lips on hers since the last kiss they'd shared. She wanted it, and she knew he did, too.

But just when she leaned in a bit, he backed away, dropped her legs back to the floor, and stepped away.

"No, you're right," Malfoy said with a smirk. "I can't have you."

Hermione's eyes narrowed and her mouthed dropped open in disbelief and anger. Malfoy turned and began to walk away, but Hermione shouted "Hey!" and walked up behind him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him backwards. He chuckled as he stumbled a bit, and she pushed him down onto a nearby bench. As soon as she was seated, she lifted a leg over him and straddled him. Without a moment's hesitation, she put his face in her hands and brought their mouths together in a kiss. His hands flew to her waist and gripped her hard as he growled and responded to the kiss by opening his mouth against hers. Their tongues met and Hermione whimpered as he began to grind his hips up against hers. With her dress riding up, only a few layers of cloth separated them, but Hermione wanted more.

"I want you," Malfoy said against her mouth before he separated their mouths and moved his mouth down to her neck.

"Unh," Hermione moaned as he bit and then sucked on a sensitive part of her neck as she felt his hardening length pressing against her. "Then take me," she breathed.

"We can't do this here," he said into her mouth as she continued to grind down onto him. "Someone could come in."

Hermione shut him up by biting his bottom lip before she put their open mouths together again. "I don't care," she said when she came up for air. She moved her mouth down to his neck, and his breath hitched as her hand moved and slipped under the waistband of his scrubs. And she felt him—hard and wanting and all for her. She began to stroke him and he let his head fall back with a deep, heavy sigh. A moment later, his hand flew up between them and grabbed her wrist to stop her movements, but her hand remained on him.

"I'm not going to do this," he said breathily. "Not here and not now. I like you, Granger."

"You should like winning two hundred bucks more."

Draco gave her a look. "I called off the bet, don't be stupid," he said, annoyed.

Hermione slid her hand out of his pants and leaned back on his lap. They sat in silence for a moment aside from their slightly heavy breathing before Hermione moved so she could get off of him. She thought he would grab her and bring her back, but he didn't. He just sat, watching her.

"Just give me a few days," she said with her back to him. "I need to think."

And she did.

* * *

><p><em>Who's the father?<em>

That had been Hermione's first question. That had been Ginny's first question, too. The doctor had told her she was three weeks along when she went. She had known then that Harry was the father. It had been about three weeks since the rape and since the first night she had been with Harry, but based on what had happened during the rape, she knew it had to be Harry's. She was pregnant with Harry's baby.

_You have to tell him, Ginny._

All Ginny had been able to think about for the past week was her session with Dr. Granger. She had needed to tell someone, and Harry had been pressuring her to connect with her former doctor for weeks. She knew she had to tell him, but who was the "him" that Hermione had been referring to? Michael or Harry?

She couldn't tell Michael. The only option was to leave him. If he found out that she was pregnant, he would know it wasn't his. He hadn't come inside her the night of the rape, and before that, they hadn't had sex in months, and they hadn't been together since the rape. He wasn't stupid. And if he found out Harry was the father, he would kill her, Harry, and the baby that was growing inside her. She wouldn't let that happen. So there was only one option. She would have to tell Harry, and they would have to come up with a plan to keep her and the baby safe from Michael.

_How long have you known?_

Dr. Granger had asked so many questions—questions that Ginny knew Harry would ask when she told him. She had found out a week before she had gone to see Dr. Granger—about two weeks ago. When her time of the month had come and gone and nothing had happened, after over a week, Ginny began to worry. She and Harry had been carrying on their affair for about three weeks at the time, and they had been unable to keep their hands off each other. Michael hardly ever came home anymore, so she felt safe to spend most of her nights at Harry's. Even on the few nights when Michael was home and she wasn't, he never asked. He hardly ever spoke to her since the rape. She didn't know if it was guilt or what, but she was grateful, at least, that he hadn't been hitting her.

_How did this happen?_

Hell if she knew. She was on birth control. She had been on birth control since she was twenty. Hermione had told her that birth control wasn't always 100% effective. There were many things that could negate the effects of birth control—it could have been something she ate, another medicine she'd consumed, or a number of other factors. It was inexplicable, but it was true. She was pregnant.

_Are you happy?_

And there it was. _That_ was the million-dollar question. And when Hermione had asked, Ginny had tried to contain it, but a smile had broken across her face. The past couple years, she had decided that she wanted to be a mother, but she thought it would never happen because she refused to bring a child into her marriage. But now she was pregnant. And Harry was the father. And she was going to leave Michael.

Yes. The answer was absolutely yes. She was happy. Scared, yes, but indescribably happy.

Ginny jumped when the front door opened and Harry walked in. She'd been waiting at his house for him to come home. She and Hermione had come up with a plan. She knew she had to sit him down and ease him into the conversation. She would explain everything. She would be gentle, and if he reacted poorly, Ginny and Hermione had come up with a reaction plan.

She had a plan.

But as soon as she looked up at Harry and he looked back at her with a loving smile, indicating how happy he was to see her, the words spewed from her like vomit.

"I'm pregnant."

Her mouth fell open in surprise at her own words. _What happened to easing him into it?_ She asked herself.

Harry stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened. "W-what?"

Ginny got up from the couch and walked over to him quickly. "I… I'm pregnant. I should have told you sooner, but I… I was scared, but I wanted to tell you, and I don't expect you to take care of it with me. I know we just started things, and this is a big responsibility, and—"

Harry held up a hand to cut her off. Then he put that hand to his chest. "Am I…" his voice was shaking as he spoke slowly. "Am I the father?"

Ginny nodded.

Harry released a small, shaky laugh. "I'm going to be a father?"

Again, Ginny nodded.

Harry whooped loudly, rushed up to Ginny and lifted her up, swinging her around before he planted her back on her feet, brought her face between his hands and brought his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly as tears filled her eyes. When he pulled away, she noticed that he had tears in his beautiful green eyes as well.

"I'm going to be a father," he whispered shakily before he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. As Ginny buried her face into Harry's chest and inhaled his familiar scent, she hoped that the baby in between them could feel all the love that both of its parents felt for it and each other.

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter:<em>

_Hermione finds out about Draco's past..._


	14. Close

_A/N: Look, y'all. I got really excited about this story and wrote the next chapter really fast, and I simply could not wait to post it. So thank my impatient mother (1) for having the inability to wait for anything that she's excited about and (2) for passing that trait onto me. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: Day 28—Close<strong>

"Son of a bi—!" Draco yelled as he slammed his fist into his locker. _That was stupid_, he immediately thought after as he massaged his fist and looked at the dent in his locker door. He was a goddamn surgeon for Christ's sake. He couldn't just punch metal doors.

Draco laid his forehead against the cool locker door and flexed his hand. He shouldn't have done that… But dammit, he was angry! _Fucking Granger._ What was he doing? Why was he so hung up on this girl? It just didn't make any sense! He had known this girl for only a few weeks when they'd gone on that stupid coffee date a month ago. Maybe that was it. She'd clearly expressed her disdain for him in that date and it was ever since then that he simply couldn't get enough. Was it just because she was something he couldn't have? She hated him, and that made him want her. She was a challenge, and that made him want to accept and crush that challenge. If he could just put things into perspective and realize that Granger wasn't anything great and that he was wasting his time and effort when he could easily get any other woman in this hospital, then he would be fine.

But that was just it, wasn't it?

Draco didn't want any other woman. Granger wasn't like other women. But what was it that made her different? Was it that wild hair? That passion, that fire… those lips, that skin that he was just dying to touch. It was more—more than any other woman—and he wanted it. He couldn't remember the last time he had wanted somebody _this_ much. It had to have been… years… four years, actually.

It had been three days since Granger had told him that she needed time to think. _"Just give me a few days," _she'd said. Well, it had been three days and it seemed wherever he looked, Granger was nowhere to be found, and—suspiciously—neither was Dorinda. Both of the women were avoiding him, and now that it had been three days, Draco was getting pissed off. He couldn't get his damn mind off Granger, and he wouldn't be able to until Granger gave him an answer. But, frankly, he wasn't going to take no for an answer, so it was just a matter of when Granger decided to approach him. And the problem, too, was the fact that his last encounter with her had been so damn arousing. If she had just talked to him instead of forcing herself on him (okay, she hadn't exactly forced him), it would have been different. He wouldn't have that lingering memory of her.

But the worst part of it all was that all of this was his own stupid fault. If he hadn't been so emotionally stunted, he would have just been able to admit to Granger right off the bat that he liked her and wanted to see her. If he didn't have such a bad temper when it came to women he liked, he would have never gotten pissed and made that dumb bet with Blaise. And because of that bet, he had lost his chance to be with the first women he had actually been able to see more than a few romps in the sheets with in a very long time.

Draco shook his head and backed away from the lockers. He sighed and flexed his hand again.

"Hey, man."

Draco turned around and saw Blaise standing in the doorway looking curious.

"Hey," Draco said.

"You look upset," Blaise said slowly.

Draco growled low in his throat as he turned back to his locker, opened it up, and began rifling through it.

"Is this about Granger?" Blaise asked.

"No, of course not," Draco responded a bit too quickly.

"Hm," Blaise said as he went to his own locker that was further down from Draco's. Draco glanced down at his friend and noticed that he was resolutely not looking at Draco. That made Draco want to punch his locker again. He didn't need Blaise trying to "figure him out." Yeah, Blaise was his best friend, whatever, but Draco had always hated when Blaise tried to analyze him.

"What is it, Zabini?"

Blaise shrugged. "You're in love with her," he said, still not looking at Draco.

"What?" Draco said. "No I'm not." But even he noticed that he didn't sound very convincing. He wasn't in love with Granger, though. He hardly knew her.

That wasn't exactly true. He knew she was brilliant. He knew she was beautiful. He knew she was a great doctor, and he knew she gave him a challenge that most other women couldn't. He knew she was sarcastic and funny and that she didn't take crap from anyone. He knew she could make his skin light on fire with the simplest touch. He knew her smile could light up a room.

Okay, so maybe he did know her. Well, no, he didn't. He hardly knew anything about her past. What was her favorite color? What was her favorite band? What was her favorite food?

Thai. He knew that. How did he know that? He couldn't remember.

Draco shivered a bit and looked over at Blaise, who was studying him intently.

"Fuck off, Zabini," Draco said before he slammed his locker shut and turned to go. He heard Blaise laugh before his friend spoke up.

"You're being an idiot."

Draco stopped right in front of the door.

"That got you're attention," Blaise said with another laugh. "Look, dude, you know you're like a brother to me, and as your brother, I feel obligated to tell you that if you don't end up getting this girl, you'll never forgive yourself. I can tell you're miserable. Just stop with the gimmicks and stop with the games and just explain everything to her."

"I have—"

"Not everything."

Draco turned back to look at Blaise. They stared at each other for several moments before Draco simply grunted and walked swiftly out of the room, hearing Blaise's chuckles ringing in his ears.

* * *

><p>Hermione had made up her mind the night before. She knew what she had to do with Draco. Or at least, she thought she knew. That was until she'd spoken with Dr. Patil.<p>

"_Hermione?"_

_Hermione turned around to see a caramel-skinned doctor staring at her. She knew she'd seen her before but she couldn't remember where. Surgery, maybe? Or Gyno? _

"_I'm Padma Patil," she said, extending her hand. Hermione took it and shook it briefly. "I work in Dermatology." _

_Hermione nodded. "Nice to meet you. Do you need a consult?" Though Hermione couldn't possibly imagine what a skin doctor would need a psych consultation for. _

_Padma chuckled and shook her head. "No." Then she paused and looked a little nervous. Hermione immediately noticed the shift in her body language. _

"_I—uh… I wanted to talk to you about Draco Malfoy." _

_Hermione's brow immediately furrowed. "What about him?"_

"_Would you mind… Do you have time to grab coffee for a few minutes?"_

_Hermione checked her watch in order to give herself enough time to figure out what this doctor could possibly want to talk to her about. Apparently it wasn't enough time, though, because she was saying "Sure, let me just drop these off," before her brain had even caught up to her mouth. _

_After they'd walked to the cafeteria and gotten coffee in relative silence, Hermione had jumped right in the moment they sat down. _

"_Look, I don't know what he told you—"_

"_Oh, no, Draco doesn't talk to me," Padma cut her off. "Not anymore at least." Hermione simply narrowed her eyes, waiting for Padma to go on. "Look, I don't know how much you know about Malfoy—"_

"_Not much," Hermione said. _

_Padma nodded. "Well, I used to be friends with him. In med school it was always me, Draco, Blaise… and, uh, Astoria. We were practically inseparable, and Draco simply adored Astoria. 'Tori,' he called her. She hated that." Padma paused briefly before continuing. "It took him a long time to convince her to even go on a date with him, so we were all pretty shocked when she agreed to marry him after only eight months of dating… We finished med school, and somehow we all ended up here, and uh… Draco and Astoria began to fight, like, all the time. I always thought it was because they were too similar, but Blaise was convinced that it was because Draco loved Astoria more than she loved him, though he would never say that to either of them._

"_So," Padma sighed. "Things got strained, and after a few years, it had turned out that Astoria had been cheating on him for a while. She was in love with someone else, she told him. She just didn't feel the same way. And as much as I loved Draco, I just naturally drifted toward Astoria. It wasn't because I thought she was in the right," Padma said quickly. "She'd just been my friend longer. Ever since then, Draco has been the Draco you know. The whole thing with Astoria really messed him up. For months he was distraught, convinced that he simply couldn't live anymore. _

"_But eventually, he woke up again, and he realized that women wanted him, and he was determined to have them all, apparently. That was…" Padma studied Hermione closely. "Until he met you." _

"_How do you even know?" Hermione asked after a few moments of silence. "You don't talk anymore, do you?"_

"_No," Padma said sadly. "We don't talk. But I still see him. I try to look after him, and I ask around about him, and apparently he's been different ever since you and him started up whatever you're doing. Look," Padma said, leaning in. "I know Draco can be a little difficult—"_

_Hermione's eyes widened incredulously. "Honestly?" she said in disbelief. "He bet Zabini that he could sleep with me in a month for two hundred dollars."_

_Padma frowned. "That sounds like something Blaise would do in order to give Draco some courage." When Padma saw the look on Hermione's face, she spoke again quickly. "That's not to say that it was okay! No… But Blaise must have seen that Draco actually liked you, and he wanted to find a way to make Draco talk to you. I know it's a dick thing to do, but the thing is… I haven't seen him like this… I haven't seen him so hung up on a woman since Astoria. I know the bet was stupid and unforgiveable, but Hermione… He _likes_ you. No matter what you think, I know Draco, and I know he hasn't acted this way in six years. Despite the dumb bet, he wants you, and I know he's not perfect, but just know that he was messed up for a long time, and something you did… you brought him back."_

_And with that, Padma smiled at Hermione, took one last swig from her coffee cup, and walked out of the cafeteria. _

Hermione had just stared after her, not knowing what to make of everything she'd heard. So, Draco was damaged, was that it? Draco was a scared boy who was afraid of letting his heart be vulnerable. _Please_. At first, Hermione had sympathized. She had thought about poor Draco and how he needed her to make him open up and be able to love again, but the more she thought on it, the more she thought it was a load of crap. Eventually, she convinced herself that Padma and her stupid speech were all apart of Draco's elaborate plot to forgive him. Or get her to sleep with him. And Hermione wasn't born yesterday. She wasn't going to fall for any tricks. Not again.

She'd practically convinced herself that enough was enough and she'd certainly had enough of Draco Malfoy when she'd found the note. _You're a great doctor. The work you do is inspiring._

And now, hours after she'd talked to Padma and hours after she'd found the note, Hermione Granger was singing. She didn't know why. She shouldn't be singing. She should have been stomping down to the surgical floor, killing Malfoy. But here she was, filling out charts in the empty psych waiting room, singing.

_I went walking the other day,  
><em>_And everything was going fine.  
><em>_I met a little boy named Billy Joe,  
><em>_And then almost lost my mind.  
><em>_Mama said there'll be days like this  
><em>_There'll be days like this mama said  
><em>_Mama said there'll be days like this  
><em>_There'll be days like this my mama said._

"The Shirelles? Really?"

Hermione jumped at the voice. When she looked up and saw those gray eyes staring back at her, she slammed her chart closed, stood up, and swept past Malfoy.

"Hey," Malfoy said with a chuckle as he caught up with her. "I was just kidding. That's a great song."

Hermione rolled her eyes and walked more quickly, trying to escape him.

"What's up?" he asked her casually as he stayed within her stride.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Did you get my note?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, I got your note, and I got the message from your little messenger, too."

Malfoy looked confused. _He's a great actor_, Hermione thought to herself. "I didn't send any messenger," he said. "I dropped the note off myself."

"I'm not talking about the note, I'm talking about Padma Patil, your stupid—"

"Wait," Malfoy grabbed Hermione's arm and stopped her, forcing her to look at him. She immediately thought that was a mistake. He was just too handsome for his own good. Dammit. "Padma talked to you?"

Hermione studied him for a few moments. He seemed genuinely surprised and even angry. Hermione narrowed her eyes, as she regarded him.

After a long pause, Hermione spoke. "You really didn't know?" Hermione looked down at the floor. "So what she said was true…" Hermione said to herself. _Draco really does…_ _like me..._ _It's not just the bet._

"Hold on, what did she say?" Malfoy said, suddenly looking afraid.

"She just…" Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from Malfoy's. She'd never seen them look so fierce. She knew now that he had no idea about Padma. And was apparently livid about the fact that they'd talked. "She told me about, uh… about Astoria?" Her voice lifted into a question at the end.

Malfoy looked horrified. "She did what?" His voice shook when he spoke.

"Look, Malfoy, I can't be that girl," Hermione said quickly, making up her mind on the spot. Draco may actually like her, but… It was just too much, too fast, and she couldn't handle it. She was too overwhelmed. "I can't be the first girl you really love after your fiancé dumped you for another man. I'm sorry. It's just… It's too much pressure! If I end up hurting you, you'll never love anyone ever again, and I don't want to do that to you. I can't be responsible for that."

Malfoy closed his eyes and held up a hand. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's not like that." His eyes flew open, making Hermione jump a bit. "Padma doesn't know me. She stopped being my friends _years_ ago. You can't listen to what she says."

"I'm sorry, Malfoy," Hermione said as she backed away from him. "I can't…" And then Hermione turned around and bolted before she got wrapped up in those eyes any further.

* * *

><p>"You had no right!"<p>

"Draco, I'm sorry—"

"No, shut up. You made your choice. You chose her, so now you have to stay out of my life."

Padma sighed. "I didn't _choose_ her, Draco, you know that."

"Oh, yeah," Draco said, stepping closer to his old friend and looking down at her angrily. "You just chose to remain her friend and stop being mine after she cheated on me."

"I didn't know what to do! She's been my best friend since I was eighteen!"

"So you chose her, that's fine. That's the choice you made. And you couldn't leave me alone. Both of you just couldn't help yourselves. She ruined my life four years ago, and now you've ruined everything with Hermione."

"Wait, what?" Padma said, brow furrowed.

"Oh don't act so innocent. She said she can't handle the responsibility of being the first person I fall for after _her_. She's done. Thanks to you."

Padma opened her mouth and closed it several times. "I was… I thought I was helping. I was trying to help."

"Well, you didn't." Draco gave her one last dirty look before he turned to go.

"Draco!" Padma called out desperately. He stopped, but did not turn back. "I miss you. I just… I'm sorry. I miss you."

Draco clenched and unclenched his jaw several times before he walked away.

* * *

><p>Hermione emerged from the psych nurses' lounge a bit later, eyes puffy from crying. The moment she'd left Draco the tears began to fall. They were the tears of missed opportunity. She'd cried the same way when her parents had told her in high school that she couldn't go to a public service summer camp because her father had been laid off that year and money was tight. She'd cried when she decided on Harvard instead of Stanford medical school, even though Harvard was just as great. She always cried when she felt as if there was something else—something more—that she was missing out on. And although she'd made that choice, she still couldn't shake the feeling that she had just made a mistake that was going to haunt her forever.<p>

"Hermione."

Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice say her name. She stumbled back against the door of the nurse's lounge, and he reached out to grab her to help her keep her balance.

"Don't," she said as she pulled her arm away. She looked down. Those eyes would be the death of her.

"We have to talk."

"I don't want to talk, Draco," Hermione said. "I made up my mind."

"For someone who just came out of that door crying, you seem awfully sure of yourself," Draco said. Hermione noticed the bite to his tone.

"Draco—"

"No, fuck this, Hermione," Draco said loudly.

"Be quiet," she snapped. She then grabbed his arm and dragged him into the nearest on-call room so they could have more privacy. When she closed the door, he immediately launched into what he had to say.

"Look, it's not fair of you to judge me based on a conversation you had with Padma."

"Draco…"

"No, Hermione, you've been judging me based on secondhand knowledge since the day we met. It's not fair to me, and I won't stand for it anymore. I'm not that guy. I'm not the guy you think I am."

"Draco," Hermione tried again.

"I'm nice and I'm thoughtful and I'm fun and I can carry on a conversation better than most people," Draco said, ignoring her. "I'm perfect for you," he said. Draco was so busy going on his rant that he didn't notice Hermione say "I know." He went on. "I'm perfect for you because I like your dumb hair and your stupid voice and your fucking eyes and your lips, and I like the way you bite your pen when you're concentrating. I like how you look up at me through your eyelashes—yeah, like that. I like that you like you my eyes. I just… I like you and I'm perfect for you."

"I know."

"And you may think that we'll have problems or that we'll fight or whatever, and you may think… Wait…" Draco said, trailing off, just realizing what Hermione had said. "You know?"

Hermione looked up at him through her eyelashes, the way he liked. "Yes, idiot," she said. "I know."

There was a long pause.

"And that's what scares you," Draco said finally, taking a step closer to her.

"No. I mean—well, yes. I don't know." Really she was terrified of how much she already liked him, and how desperately she wanted to give in. She could only be so strong and so resistant for so long.

"You like me," Draco said, again stepping closer. "You're scared about how much you like me."

"Don't flatter yourself," Hermione snapped. She was so frustrated at how easily he could read her.

Draco smiled as he continued to close the gap between them. Hermione had backed up against the door as much as she could, but now she was trapped. "You don't have to be so brave and strong all the time. I messed it up. I know that. But just come on," Draco said as he moved his hand to the side of Hermione's neck. "At least let me try to prove it to you."

"I have," Hermione said. She was annoyed at how shaky her voice sounded when she spoke.

"No, you haven't. You've let me play my little games, send you little notes, but you haven't let me _prove_ anything."

"How do I?" Hermione whispered. He was so close.

"Like this."

Draco's hand slid around to the back of her neck so he could pull her forward. She closed her eyes when she felt his lips brush hers. Her mouth parted and for several moments, their open mouths teased each other—lips brushing lips. And just when Draco was about to close the gap, Hermione put her hands on his chest and pushed.

"Dammit, Hermione!" Draco shouted.

"No!" Hermione shouted back. "You don't want to play your little games, then don't!"

"This isn't a game!"

"Oh, yes it is. This is just another one of your ploys to get me to forgive you. Well you're going to have to do more than just kiss me!"

"Jesus CHRIST, Hermione. Fuck, just tell me what to do. Tell me what you need me to do in order for you to trust me and I'll fucking do it."

"Tell me about her."

"Who?" Draco asked, eyes narrowing.

"Astoria." Hermione narrowed her eyes right back.

"No."

"Then forget it!" Hermione said loudly.

Draco growled loudly as he turned around and grabbed Hermione's shoulders. He pushed her against the nearest wall and pressed his body up against hers.

"I loved her," Draco growled, hands still grasping Hermione's shoulders. "I loved her and she left me. So, you know what I did? I gave up on love. I thought it was all a farce." His voice was so dangerously low and gravely that Hermione felt her heart pounding madly at the sound of it. She tried not to look at his lips. "I decided that I would never get close enough to a woman to let her hurt me the way Astoria did. But then I met you."

Hermione couldn't help it. She rolled her eyes.

Draco shoved her shoulders back so she slammed against the wall before he backed away from her and ran a hand through his hair roughly. "Fuck, Hermione! Nothing I say is good enough. Well, that's the truth."

"Keep your voice down."

"No!" Draco shouted. "I don't know what it is about you, but ever since that stupid coffee date, I knew that you were different. It was the first time I felt like I could open up and maybe not get hurt. Or maybe I would get hurt. But I figured if I had a chance with you, it would be worth it."

Hermione stared at him, and he stared back, jaw clenched.

"Do you mean that?" Hermione asked after several moments.

Draco shrugged.

Hermione then took several steps forward, grabbed the front of his shirt in her fists, and yanked him to her for a hard kiss.

And suddenly everything was happening so fast. She was up against the wall, legs wrapped around Draco's waist, kissing him like this was the last time. And all she knew was that she never wanted it to stop.

* * *

><p>Draco was smiling. No. He was <em>grinning<em>. Like a fool, he was grinning. He wasn't even sure if he would ever stop smiling. On the surgical floor, all he could do was grin. People would try to talk to him or ask him a question, but he couldn't even hear. All he could see was Granger. Hermione. All he could see was Hermione squirming underneath him as he'd pushed her against the wall and lifted her legs up around his waist. Sure yeah, maybe she had runaway after, but it didn't matter. What was done was done, and now that Hermione had experienced Draco, he knew she wouldn't ever want to go back now.

And god, the way she had responded to his touches, as if each touch was causing her to have a mini orgasm. A squirm, a tremble, a gasp, a sigh, a moan—all it took was Draco trailing one single finger along the inside of her thigh or breathing lightly on her neck. The way she had rocked her hips against his as their mouths met; the way she had bitten his neck as she tightened her legs around his waist; and—Christ—the sounds she made. It had driven Draco to the brink. He had lost all control of who he was or what he was doing.

And the way she had pushed herself onto his fingers. He hadn't expected it to go that far, but before he even knew what was happening, his hand had found its way underneath her skirt. He had just been desperate—desperate for more mind-blowing reactions to what he was doing to her. He could tell that she hadn't expected it either; the way her eyes went slightly wide when the pad of his thumb brushed against her, causing her to cry out—no he could tell she hadn't been expecting _that_.

But she didn't stop it. No, she had welcomed it. And for the first time since Draco had known her, he watched Hermione Granger completely drop her guard in front of him. As her head had tipped back and her mouth had fallen open in silent ecstasy right before she had released a deep grunt followed by several deep, moaned breaths—Draco thought she had never looked so beautiful with her flushed cheeks and dilated eyes. And he continued to pump in and out of her and watch her intently as she road out her orgasm. So when she finished, her eyes snapped open and she stared at Draco long and hard. He had been so hard, and his muscles ached from holding her up against the wall, but even when she'd pushed him off and run away, Draco hadn't been upset. She would come back this time. More than willingly. And he… Well, he could wait until later to satisfy himself, and all he would need was the memory of Granger to get him there.

So, no, he couldn't stop grinning. He could only name a few things on earth that could make him lose the grin on his face in this moment. One was probably his ex-wife. Another—

"Draco, hi."

"Sonya."

Damn Granger. She was always making Draco forget himself. He was normally alert for people like Sonya, and yet here he was, face to face with her in a deserted corridor in the hospital. The last place he wanted to be. Draco felt disgusted chills erupt all over his body as she moved to stand behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. He couldn't help but marvel at how quickly the woman had made his mood change.

* * *

><p>She had to find Draco. They needed to talk, or she needed him to do that thing where he read her mind without her even saying anything because she wasn't even sure what she would say when she saw him. God, how had she let it get that far! <em>I mean, we haven't even been on a proper date!<em> _And I let him get to… oh, what base was it? Third?_ Third base, yes perhaps, but still Hermione couldn't help but remember. It had all been too much—the way he had touched her had ignited a fire she hadn't felt in her entire life. She had wanted to scream out and beg him to never stop touching her. The only thing that had even given her some semblance of control was the thought that they were in a hospital—the hospital where they both happened to work. But it wasn't just how he'd touched her. No, it was the way he _looked_ at her. She'd never seen a look like that in any man's eyes before. It was like he was going to devour her—like he was studying every move she made so he would know exactly what she wanted…like he somehow knew that she wanted him to make her come over and over and over again until she couldn't move or breathe. It was like he knew everything. Those eyes… He—

Just then, Hermione overheard a familiar voice speaking lowly. She crept up closer, ready to spy on him when she heard a woman's voice. Hermione froze in her tracks.

"Draaaaco," the female voice said sensually.

Hermione craned her neck just a bit so she could peek around the corner. She was thankful when she noticed that both of them had their backs to her, but she was absolutely horrified to find that the woman had her arms wrapped around Draco and was talking into his ear, her lips brushing against his ear with almost every word she spoke.

"I've missed you."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes," she breathed. Hermione clenched her fists tightly so she could dig her nails into her palms. She had to keep her patience—at least for the moment—despite how much she wanted to run forward and rip the woman's fake blonde hair out of her fat head.

The woman—who was she? Hermione couldn't remember; Sandy, Sara, something—whispered something into Draco's ear that Hermione couldn't hear. Hermione didn't know if it was her imagination or reality that made her hear the word "fuck."

"Sonya"—that was her name!—"I—"

"Shhh," Sonya said as her hand began to slip around Draco's body to a place that Hermione couldn't see. Hermione almost screeched until she watched as Draco whipped around and took several steps away from her. Hermione moved out of sight quickly and listened.

"What's wrong Drake?"

"Draco," Draco corrected. "Look, Sonya, I…" Draco sighed. "I honestly don't want anything to do with you anymore. I haven't for over a month."

Hermione heard Sonya huff. "If you want to play hard to get, I'm into that."

Draco laughed, but Hermione noticed there was no humor in it. "That's not even a little bit desirable to me."

"Draco—"

"Don't touch me, Sonya."

"_What_ is your _problem_?" Hermione heard Sonya whine.

Hermione heard Draco's humorless laugh again. "I don't like you."

"Why? Moved onto your next whore?"

"You're calling yourself a whore?"

Sonya laughed. "Hardly. I know what I am. So, what's the deal? New flavor of the week?"

Draco sighed. "If you must know, I guess I am kind of seeing someone. And she makes me happy"—Hermione felt her heart swell—"and I don't want to be mean to you, Sonya, so you should probably just walk away."

"Oh, Draco, you know I don't go away that easily."

Then, Hermione heard some shuffling and a small thud, and she whipped her head around the corner to see what had happened. She saw Sonya, who had pushed Draco against the wall and pressed herself against his struggling frame as her mouth found his. And before Hermione knew what had come over her, she was yanking Sonya back by her hair, spinning her around, and sending a hand sailing across her face. She tried to hit her again, but she felt strong arms around her waist, pulling her back. She heard muffled voices, but the blood was rushing in her ears so fast and hard that she couldn't make out any words. The next thing she knew, she saw Sonya walk away quickly and Hermione thought she saw her mouth form the word "slut," and when Hermione tried to go after her again, Draco only held tighter.

"Hermione! Hermione stop." When Hermione finally calmed down and planted her feet back on the ground and breathed deeply, Draco turned her around. "Okay?" Hermione nodded and Draco grinned. "Now, that was the first time I've ever thought that you actually _did_ grow up in Boston."

"Whatever." Hermione turned to go, feeling slightly embarrassed, but Draco grabbed her hand and turned her around again.

"Hey," he said, chuckling. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, and when she saw him grinning, she couldn't help but smile, too. "You've got a mouth on you." Hermione shrugged. She hadn't even realized she'd been yelling. "Never pegged you for the jealous type."

"Yeah, well." Hermione shrugged and looked down.

Draco smiled even wider as he pulled the hand he still held. Hermione obliged and stepped forward. Then he stepped up closer, still holding her hand, and brought his face down so he could nudge his nose against hers. She looked up at him and saw that look in his eyes again—the same one he'd had earlier in the on-call room—before his lips found hers and her eyes fluttered closed.

Hermione sighed and leaned up closer, taking Draco's bottom lip between hers. He took the hand he held and without letting go, wrapped both that hand and his around Hermione's waist so he could pull her even closer. Then his tongue nudged at her lips, and she opened her mouth, whimpering when their tongues met. Hermione was starting to feel all the feelings that had made her lose control earlier, and though she knew she couldn't lose it again, she was afraid she would have little ability to stop it, just like last time.

When Draco pulled his mouth away from hers, Hermione groaned in disappointment, and left her lips slightly parted and her eyes closed, waiting for his lips to come back.

"We should go on a date," Draco said before he leaned in and placed an open-mouthed kiss against Hermione's neck.

"Yeah," Hermione breathed.

"You should probably break up with Weasley," Draco whispered against Hermione's neck before he moved down to kiss her collarbone. Hermione tilted her head back as she felt Draco's breath trail across her neck and down to where he was currently paying wonderful attention to a spot on her neck just above her collarbone.

"Y…" Hermione started but couldn't finish as she felt the familiar stirring in her stomach and a dull ache between her legs.

Hermione felt Draco pull away and when she tried to reach out and grab him and pull him back, he put his hands on her wrists to stop her. Hermione finally opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I'm serious, Hermione. Break up with him. Until then…" He leaned in and kissed her forehead before turning and going.

"Hey!" Hermione called, a look of astonishment and shocked anger on her face. Draco turned back with a smirk. "You're hardly in a position to be calling the shots, Malfoy."

Draco flashed her a charming smile before he said "I'll talk to you soon, _Granger_."

She knew it was childish, but Hermione couldn't help but stomp her foot as she watched him walk away.

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><p><em>Next chapter:<em>

_"I know that what I did was un-unforgivable, but… I need you."_


	15. Closer

****_A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I've been getting some really good reviews from some really amazing people, and I appreciate it more than I can say. I've officially finished the story, so there should be updates every 4-5 days or so (I have to keep a little bit of the suspense!), but right now I'm going back and editing before I put up the last chapters, so if you see any mistakes or discrepancies in the story line, please let me know. And as the story winds down, PLEASE keep letting me know what you think. These last couple chapters are pretty good/intense, if I do say so myself. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>: **Day 29—Closer **

It hadn't been so bad—the break up with Ron. He had been perfectly nice and understanding when Hermione had told him she felt they lacked chemistry. She supposed she could have told him that she was busy and needed to focus on her career, but she preferred to give men a clean break when she knew she had no intention of seeing them again. She hated keeping men on the hook. And if it had been her career, the hope would continue, but if there was no chemistry, Ron would hopefully understand and move on. He had listened mostly, and he had graciously wished her the best and said he hoped that one day they could be friends. Hermione told him she would like that very much. He really was a great guy.

When she got to work, she was surprised to find a card in her locker with what she recognized as Malfoy's scrawl on the front. Her name was written on the front with a small parenthetical underneath: _I bet you thought you'd gotten your last little surprise from me,_ it said.

Hermione smiled as she opened the card and momentarily ignored the small piece of paper that fluttered out onto the ground. She furrowed her brow and tried not to smile as she looked at the front.

_For a special mother on Mother's Day;  
><em>_A mother who always had the most wisdom._

When Hermione opened the card, she laughed when she heard it begin to play the song Draco had overheard her singing the day before.

_Mama said there'll be days like this  
><em>_There'll be days like this mama said…_

_On a day like today, I celebrate your wisdom_. _Thank you for always sharing it with me,_ the card read. And underneath, Draco had written, _Saw this and thought of you. Will you go out with me tomorrow night? Check a box._ Hermione then picked up the paper that had fallen out of the card and saw three boxes with "yes," "no (of course, not an option)," and "maybe" written by each box. Hermione smiled. She pulled a pen out of her lab coat and created her own box with her own single word next to it. She checked the box she'd made, folded the paper and put it in her pocket before putting the card back into her locker.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Malfoy?"<p>

"Yes?"

Draco turned around to see a young male nurse from psych standing in front of him, holding out a slip of paper. "For you," he said with a small smile. Draco thanked him before rushing into the nearest empty patient room to look at the paper. He recognized it as the paper he had put in Hermione's card this morning.

It had really been a streak of good luck that he'd found that singing card in the drug store on his way home last night. He'd thanked the cashier about a hundred times, although he'd tried to tell Draco over and over that it had nothing to do with him.

Draco opened the note once he leaned against the door of the room, and he laughed out loud. Hermione had made her own box and checked it. Next to the box, she had written, "Definitely."

* * *

><p>Ginny stirred the cup of tea sitting on the table in front of her. It wasn't her usual tea. Usually she stuck to earl grey and various green teas, but with the pregnancy, she had switched to herbal teas. She was still trying to get used to it.<p>

"We could just leave," Harry said, his back to her. He was currently grilling salmon to put on the salad he had made for them. Normally, Ginny didn't like salmon (even less than she liked herbal tea), but Harry had heard that it was good for brain development in unborn children, and Ginny thought it was the sweetest thing that he was already so worried about the baby. "Just pack up our stuff and get out of here. I could apply for jobs somewhere else. You're freelance right now, so you could always write remotely or work wherever we go."

"Harry, I can't just leave. My entire family is here. What will my mom do if I leave?"

"I know, Ginny, I'm just… I'm just putting things out there." He wiped his hands on the hand towel laying by the stove and turned to face her. "I'm not afraid of what will happen if you just leave him and come live with me, but I know—"

"Michael is a psychopath," Ginny interrupted, shaking her head. "I know you can protect me, but you can't be guarding me and the baby 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anything could happen."

"Well, then what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know, Harry."

"Well, you can't stay with him," Harry said, turning back the stove. "That's not even close to being an option. He could snap any day and beat you up. I'm not letting that happen. Not ever again."

"I know."

"Maybe you should go talk to Hermione," Harry suggested. "I'm sure she's seen cases like this and knows of available options."

"I just want to figure this out so we can move on with our lives." Ginny said.

"I know, Gin," Harry said. "Me too."

Ginny sighed and tried to think, but every solution she came up with had major flaws and setbacks. She needed a way to get Michael out of her life forever so that he couldn't harm her anymore. Every single plan, however, was wrought with difficulty. If she wanted him to be in jail, he would get out eventually and come for her. And anyway, the abuse wasn't recent enough to put him in jail most likely. If she wanted to move away, she would leave her entire family behind—the rock that had been there for her since day one—and anyway, he could always find them. She could just stay here, tell Michael she was leaving and take a chance. Normally, that's most likely what she would do, but now that there was more than just herself to worry about, she couldn't put her body in harm's way. She wouldn't. So far, the best bet was to just stay with Michael. The way they had been living recently was like neither even existed to the other. But what would happen in a few months when her stomach began to grow? No. She couldn't stay with him either. She didn't know what to do.

A bit later, Ginny and Harry were eating their dinners at Harry's table. _Their table,_ Ginny thought. She was trying to think of Harry's house as her house—_our house_—but it wasn't as easy as it seemed. Everything was very distinctly Harry's. Everything that Ginny owned was still in the house that she and Michael shared. The house that clearly looked like Ginny was apart of it. She had done all of the decorating and had made sure to include elements that were important to both of them. At Harry's, although he tried to make it homey for her, it still felt like she was a guest at his house. This was why they needed to figure out what to do next. This was why they needed to move on to the next phase. She needed them to feel like one—she, Harry, and the baby needed to be a family unit. That wouldn't work while she was still married to Michael, and it certainly wouldn't work when she was feeling like a visitor in the place that she and Harry were supposed to be building that new life.

"Will you marry me?"

Harry began to cough and choke on his food when Ginny had spoken. She reached out to pat him on the back. He took a sip of water and spoke.

"What?" he said hoarsely.

"I want us to start a new life together, Harry," Ginny said. "I want things that are ours. I want to feel united. I want us to be a family. I want to marry you."

"You're still married to Michael," Harry said.

"That's a complication, yes," Ginny said with a smile.

There was a silence while Harry just stared at Ginny.

"We don't have to," Ginny finally said. "It was just a thought."

"No!" Harry said quickly. "Of course I want to." Harry stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

"So why do you seem so reluctant?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I'm just frustrated," Harry said, pacing a bit before walking to the far side of the kitchen. He opened a drawer and pulled something out. "Because you see I had this ring." Ginny gasped as Harry turned around with the box open and diamond ring gleaming at her. "And I was planning on how I was going to ask you." Harry walked toward her. "But um, I was going to wait until after the baby because I didn't want you to think I was only marrying you because of that." Harry got down on one knee in front of Ginny. "But you see, you went and ruined my proposal."

Ginny's hands were both covering her mouth and her eyes were wide and shining with tears.

"It's time we both got what we wanted and deserved," Harry said. "Leave Michael and be with me, and I promise I will protect you and love you and cherish you until the day I die. All I've ever wanted for seven years was to be the man you came home to. Marry me, Ginny."

All Ginny could do was nod vigorously as Harry stood up and swept her up in his arms. He placed kisses all over her face and neck as he muttered how much he loved her. And when he put her back on her feet and took her hand so he could put the ring on, Ginny couldn't help but think, _now there's just the little matter of leaving my abusive husband_ as the ring gleamed just above her wedding band.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Ginny sighed as she headed back to the home that she and Michael shared. She needed to pick up some personal items and some work stuff to bring over to Harry's. It was the first night in a long time that she would be at her house. She would normally go home only during the day when she knew Michael wouldn't be there. He hadn't tried to call or find out anything so she'd assumed that he either didn't know because he wasn't there either, or didn't care. Harry had insisted that he accompany her, but she told him she would only be an hour at the most, and if Harry came, it would only be a trigger for Michael if he happened to be there. And it was late anyway—past midnight—and he had to work in the morning.<p>

As she stepped up to the front walkway of their ranch-style home, Ginny removed Harry's ring from her finger and slipped it into her pocket. She hadn't seen Michael's car in his normal spot in the driveway, which gave her a great deal of relief, but she didn't want to take any chances. As she put her hand on the doorknob, she suddenly felt apprehensive. She should have let Harry come.

_No, Ginny, relax,_ she told herself. _He's not here. All the lights are off, his car isn't in the driveway. He's not here._

Ginny reached into her purse and fumbled for her keys. And when the door was finally open and she flipped the light switch on, she screamed when she saw Michael—or who she assumed was Michael—sitting on their couch in the dark still in his work clothes but with his tie undone, hanging around his neck. His face was covered in scruff, he had dark circles under his eyes, and he held a bottle of whiskey against his chest. She assumed it was him, and after a deeper look she knew it was, but he looked so different. She hadn't seen him in almost three weeks, and although Harry had told her that he had been acting and looking different at work, she hadn't understood the extent of it. Along with the beard and the dark circles, he looked thinner and like he hadn't had a proper meal in all the time that Ginny had been gone.

When he'd heard her scream, his only reaction was to look up at her slowly.

"Hey, Ginny," he slurred.

"Hi, Michael," she said back. She closed the door behind her, but made sure to keep her distance, not moving any further into the house.

"Missed you," he said right before he took another large swig from his bottle.

"Michael—"

"'S bottle was full when I started drinking earlier," he said. Ginny watched as he swished the remains in the container around—about a fourth of the large bottle—before taking another drink. Then he tried to stand up as he said, "Look, I—" but he fell back onto the couch and whiskey splashed onto his front. "Shit."

"I should probably just go," Ginny said, although her feet remained firmly planted. She hated him. She hated him so much for what he'd done to her over the past year, but even when she hated him, she couldn't help but love him still. She didn't want him to be like this.

"No, Ginny, don't go," Michael slurred, holding a hand up as if that would stop her. "I love you s—" He hiccupped. "So much. And 'm sorry for whad-I did to you. I'll never"—hiccup—"never forgive myself."

Michael stared at her with eyes that were unable to focus, and Ginny just stared back, unsure of her next course of action. Then, her hand went to grip the door handle as Michael stood up and began to stumble. She made to get out of the house when she thought he was coming toward her, but the next thing she knew, he was rushing to the bathroom, and in the next moment, she heard him expelling the contents of his stomach.

She was torn. She knew she should probably just leave and go back to Harry's, but something inside her wouldn't let her go. _I can't leave him like his,_ she thought. _He's my husband._ And before she even had time to consider what she was doing, her body had carried her to the bathroom, and she felt like an outsider looking down at the scene as she sat on her knees next to Michael and rubbed small circles on his back as he heaved.

He vomited and vomited until there was nothing left to come up and all he was doing was dry heaving into the toilet bowl. Ginny made sure to keep the toilet bowl as fresh as possible—flushing occasional and wiping the seat off with toilet paper. She reached up for one of the Dixie cups that they kept on the sink and filled it with water.

"Drink this," she told him. He grabbed the cup with shaking hands and tipped it back into his mouth. "Michael," Ginny said sternly. "Sips."

And as if his body was reprimanding him the same way Ginny had, a few moments later, Michael was heaving up the water he had just downed.

"G-Ginny," Michael choked out between dry heaves. She continued to rub his back but did not respond. "D-don't," he said. "S-stop… being… s-so… so nice… to me… I don't… I d-don't d… deserve it," he managed to get out, heaving throughout it.

"I know," Ginny said after a moment. "But you are still my husband."

Michael looked over at her, and Ginny saw that he had tears in his eyes and smeared on his face. They looked at each other for a long time, but eventually, Ginny was able to tear her eyes away from his long enough to fill his Dixie cup again. This time he sipped it, though never taking his eyes off Ginny. When he finished, she filled the cup again, and handed it to him as she moved to sit Indian-style on the floor with her back against the door instead of on her knees.

When Michael finally managed to stop heaving, he continued to shake and sob occasionally, and Ginny froze in shock as he moved to lay his head in her lap.

"Michael—" She began to protest, but he cut her off.

"I'm so sorry, Gin," he said. His voice was no longer slurring, but she could tell that he was still drunk. "For everything… For talking to you the way I did… For hitting you… For the… the r…" But he couldn't bring himself to say "rape," and he turned onto his side so he could bury his face into Ginny's leg as he sobbed.

They stayed like that for a while—Michael sobbing into Ginny's leg as she stroked his hair and said "shh." It felt like it always had for the past year. Michael had always been like this after the abuse. He would cry and beg for her forgiveness, and she would comfort him, telling him that everything would be okay. Only this time, he had been holding it in for weeks, and everything _wouldn't_ be okay. It never was.

"I know that what I did was un-unforgivable," Michael said when he finally stopped crying. "But Ginny… I need you. I know you've been staying with your mom." Ginny didn't bother to correct him. "But I need you back here. Everything… the m-memories, the pain… it's unbearable without you. I want to get better. I made an appointment with a shrink, and I'll start seeing him next week. I want to get better. I want us to get better. I… I can't live without you, Ginny. I n… I need you." And as he began to cry again, Ginny leaned her head back against the door and said nothing. Michael was right. It truly was unbearable.

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><p><em>Next Chapter:<em>

_We reach our climax..._


	16. The Final Day

****_A/N: Thanks to everyone for the amazing reviews so far. This chapter is the climax of the story, which means that, sadly, this story is coming to an end. I've got two more chapters after this. I can't tell you how sad I am to see this end. I've had so much fun writing this story and hearing from everyone, and I'm excited to see what you think about how I decided to end it. I thought about making it much longer, and for a while I had a completely different concept going (I actually might make that into another story, but I haven't decided), but I finally landed with something I'm happy with and I hope you all are, too. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>: **The Final Day**

A few hours later, Ginny's eyes fluttered open, and it took her a moment to realize her surroundings. She was sitting on the floor of her bathroom with her back against the door and Michael's head in her lap. He was dozing and snoring softly, and Ginny realized that she had fallen asleep there with him. Looking down at him, he looked so at peace, and Ginny couldn't help herself when she reached down and brushed his hair off his forehead.

In the next moment, Ginny realized what had woken her up. Behind the bathroom door, she heard a faint banging that she realized must have been coming from the front door. _Harry,_ she thought. Ginny didn't know how long she'd been sitting there asleep, but she knew that Harry was probably sick with worry. As gently as she could, she moved Michael's head off of her lap. He shifted a bit but curled himself back into a ball without waking up. He was definitely passed out. Ginny looked at him briefly before she squeezed out of the small gap of the door that Michael's position would allow.

After closing the bathroom door, she rushed to the front of their house, and as soon as she opened the door she saw Harry standing there, tears streaming down his face, looking wild and crazy. Both of their eyes went wide momentarily, and Ginny gasped a bit when Harry reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. He held her for a long time, and Ginny held him back tightly. She could only imagine what had been going through his head.

Harry pulled back and held onto her shoulders so he could look at her. She could tell he was trying to make sure that she didn't have any injuries. When he saw that she looked fine, he wiped his face briefly before he pulled her tight again.

"I'm okay, Harry," Ginny said into his neck. "I'm fine."

Harry pulled back and looked at her angrily. "I was worried to death, Ginny. I called you over and over. You can't…" He sighed in frustration. "You can't come to the house that you and your abusive husband share and then not return my calls. I thought you were dead."

"I know—"

"I was about to kick this door down, Ginny. You…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You can't do that."

"Harry, I know. I'm sorry."

"What happened?"

Ginny shrugged. "I came here and he was drunk. Very drunk. And he started getting sick, and I just… I couldn't leave him like that."

"I really don't see why not," Harry said. He was mad at her, she could tell. But she knew it was only because he'd just had a big scare.

"Then I just fell asleep for a bit," Ginny said.

"He's still in there?"

Ginny nodded. "In the bathroom laying on the floor. He's asleep."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Not physically," Ginny said, looking down. Harry took her chin in his hands and forced her to look up at him.

"What did he say?"

Ginny shook her head. "Oh, no, nothing, he just… He's really messed up. He's miserable. It hurts me to see him like that."

Harry's jaw clenched and unclenched. "Let's go." He grabbed her hand. "You need to get home. You need rest."

"Harry, wait," Ginny said, pulling her hand out of his. "I still have to get my stuff."

Harry closed his eyes and clenched his jaw before he followed Ginny back into the house. It only took a few minutes to gather her things. She hoisted her bag over her shoulders, and made to leave before a thought occurred to her. Harry watched as she set her bag down and went to their linen closet. She pulled out a spare pillow and blanket and went back to the bathroom. She squeezed in and shut the door behind her.

When she got in, she saw that Michael was still in the same position she'd left him—curled up on his side, snoring softly. As gently as she could, she knelt down and lifted Michael's head so she could slip the pillow underneath. When she draped the blanket over him, he sighed and pulled it closer. She looked at him for a moment, and before she stood up, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the forehead. And as she slipped back out of the bathroom, she heard the unmistakable sound of her name drifting from his lips.

* * *

><p>Hermione smiled as she looked outside at the fading day. The sky had a faint orange glow as the sun began to set. It couldn't be a more perfect night for her first real date with Malfoy. All day he had been so secretive about his plans. When she'd asked what he had planned he just said "Dinner, I don't know. Normal stuff," and then walked away with a grin on his face. Hermione had rolled her eyes, but she still couldn't contain her smile.<p>

The entire day she'd felt like she was sixteen again and she had a secret boyfriend that she was hiding from her parents and friends (or the entire hospital in this case). It was like it had been before Hermione found out about the bet—all coy glances and "accidental" brush-ups. Only this time it was different because instead of ending in Hermione finding out about the bet and hating Draco, it ended in Hermione sitting on a hospital bed in an unoccupied room, Draco standing between her legs, and her dress hiked up to her waist as Draco kissed her passionately.

Hermione's smile widened as she remembered how Draco had had to take a step back and calm himself down as they'd kissed. She had felt his hardness pressing against her as they'd kissed, and if she could have had her way, she would have let him do with her what he pleased on that hospital bed, but she decided—knowing about his past—that she would let it be on his terms. And she had bit her lip and watched him as he'd had an internal battle. He was afraid he would mess it up again, she could tell. But save for another bet, Hermione was sure nothing he could do what change how she felt about him. Then he had breathed deeply a few times and told her he would see her later before he quickly left the room.

The way he wanted her drove her mad with desire for him. And if it weren't for her rule about no sex on the first date, she knew he would be in her bed tonight. God, she wanted him. But, as Hermione well knew, good things came to those who wait.

* * *

><p>Ginny sighed as she folded her clothes and put them into her suitcase. The suitcase was already three-quarters of the way full with clothes, trinkets, and other things that she needed to bring to Harry's. But even as she felt excitement and anticipation about starting her new life with Harry, she couldn't help but think of Michael.<p>

Last night, had been so… strange. He had been so vulnerable. _"The memories and the pain… It's unbearable without you." _Ginny recalled his words and felt her heart ache for him. She knew it had been hard on him since what had happened last year. And although she knew it was no excuse for him to treat her the way he had, she knew that he really had been having a hard time. And apparently he wanted to get better. _"I want us to get better."_ _Us_, Ginny thought. What did that even mean? Yes, she remembered how they used to be. She remembered when they were in college and he would kiss her eyelids before bed. And she remembered how tender he used to be. He'd held her hand all the time and could never seem to keep his eyes off her, as if she would disappear in any moment. He'd always seemed so grateful to have her, and Ginny had eaten that up. He'd been so tender, but then he would make love to her with all the ferocity and passion that he could muster. He'd loved her so much and shown it all the time. But then they'd gotten married, and things had changed. He'd still loved her, but they would fight, and sex became awkward at times, and they wouldn't talk like they had in college. She knew she'd been falling out of love with him, and then she'd begun to develop feelings for Harry. She'd wanted to leave Michael, but then the shooting had happened, and she'd known that he needed her. All the hearings and inquiries that he'd had to go through; seeing that boy's family… It had been too much, and it had practically killed him.

Now, after a year, he had decided that he wanted to get better for her. He was still so messed up. He couldn't do it alone. _"I can't live without you, Ginny. I need you." _She knew he needed her, and there was a big part of her that wanted to be there for him. She wanted him to know that he wasn't alone, and that he would be able to do it with her by his side. Despite everything that had happened before and after the shooting, she wanted to be there for the first man that she had ever truly loved. But then she closed her eyes and remembered that first time—the first time he had hit her had been a complete out-of-body experience. It had just been one hard slap to the face, but she had just been in such disbelief. And as he apologized over and over, she'd felt like she wasn't herself. Surely that couldn't have been what her life had turned into. And of course, she would never forget the fear that had coursed through her when she had looked into Michael's eyes and known that he was going to rape her. She had never felt that fear before and hopefully wouldn't feel it ever again. So, as much as she knew he needed her, she wouldn't do it. She wasn't that woman.

Then of course, there was Harry. Beautiful, smart, caring, kind, strong, sexy Harry who wanted nothing more than to please her in every aspect of their lives. The meals they ate, the movies they watched, the things they did in bed—it was all to please Ginny. And when Ginny tried to turn it around and do something for Harry, he always ended up making it about her. As much as she had loved Michael at the beginning, Harry was… he was different. She could tell that things were just different between them. It was like she had been waiting for him her entire life, and now here he was. So many times she thought it was too good to be true—that she would wake up in the morning and be in bed the morning after the rape, only to discover that it had all been a dream, and Harry had never come for her that morning, and he had never told her he loved her, and she had never gotten pregnant with his baby, and she was miserable again.

For some reason, she thought that after last night it would be safe for her to leave Michael without repercussions. He would see a doctor, and he would realize that they simply didn't belong together and their relationship had expired years ago. He would know that in order for them both to be happy, they would have to part. At least that's what she hoped.

* * *

><p>Harry looked up from where he was sitting at one end of the bar with a few work buddies when he heard a loud group of men come into the bar. When Harry noticed Michael in the group, anger immediately coursed through him. Ever since the attack almost two months ago, Harry had been biting the inside of his cheek, digging his nails into his palms, and shaking with rage all to stop himself from reacting toward Michael at work the way he desperately wanted to react. Instead, Harry just clenched his jaw tightly after taking a large swig from his glass.<p>

"Don't let him get to you, Harry," His friend and fellow officer, Seamus Finnigan, said. Like everyone on the force, Seamus knew about Michael hitting Ginny. And he knew how riled it made Harry, although he didn't know Harry's relationship with Ginny.

Harry grunted in response, and their other fellow officer and friend spoke up.

"They're such idiots. Cops. Coming in here acting like drunk frat boys."

"Do you think we should say something, Katie?" Seamus asked her.

Katie just shrugged and shook her head. "As long as they aren't actually doing anything illegal, we don't have any place to say anything. Let them act like fools."

"I'll have another," Harry told Tom, the bartender. Tom nodded and began to pour.

"Hey!"

Harry, Seamus, and Katie all looked up when they heard someone yell. When Harry realized it had been Michael, he turned and took the beer that Tom had put in front of him and faced forward, not looking at him.

The terrible thing about it all was that Harry and Michael used to be partners. They had been friends for five years since Michael had joined the force a couple years after Harry had, and before Harry had taken the promotion as Sergeant on the force, he and Michael had been partners for those five years. They had been like brothers. Then the shooting had happened, Harry had been promoted for his actions during the conflict, and Michael had started hitting Ginny. It was the worst because Harry knew how Michael used to be—brave, patient, and happy, always telling jokes. Now he was angry and obnoxious and troubled, and Harry hated him.

"Bell, why don't you come over here and hang with us," Michael called over to them.

"It's Wood now, Corner," Katie said. She had married the police chief, Oliver Wood, a few months earlier.

"Aw, my bad, _Wood_. Perfect name for you. All the wood you give me." Michael and all the cops he had come in with burst into drunken laughter.

"Maybe you should go home to your wife," an older cop across the bar called to Michael. Harry could tell that all the other cops in the bar were growing more and more agitated with Michael and his group.

"Naw, I'd rather stay here and admire Bell—my mistake—_Wood_. I don't need to go home to my wife. Been there done that."

Harry felt cold fury rip through his chest.

"Potter knows what I'm talking about," Michael said, his voice taking on a dangerous tone.

A relative hush went over the bar as Harry took another swig of his beer. "And what's that supposed to mean, Corner?" Harry said, still looking straight ahead.

"Don't play dumb, Potter. I'm talking about you fucking my wife."

The bar was now almost completely silent save for a few of Michael's buddies trying to pull him back and tell him to stop as he walked toward Harry.

"I don't want any trouble, fellas," Tom said as Michael stepped up to Harry. Harry nodded to Tom.

"You'll want to step away from me, Corner," Harry said, drinking his beer and keeping his eyes forward.

"Mike—" Seamus tried.

"You fucking my wife, Potter?" Michael said loudly.

"Back up, Corner."

"You need to go home, Michael," Katie said.

"Mike, come on!" one of Michael's friends called.

Michael gave Harry a long look, and the silence was nearly deafening in the bar. "She was always a slut anyway," Michael said before he turned to go.

Then Harry leapt out of his chair, making the stool topple over, and he pushed Michael hard to the ground. Michael fell, but Harry bent over and yanked him up, both of Harry's fists clenched into Michael's shirt.

"I'll kill you," Harry growled in his face.

"Harry!"

"Come on, Potter, enough."

"Don't do this, Harry."

"Sergeant."

And when Harry heard someone call him by his formal title, he knew he had to try as hard as he could not to let Michael get under his skin. He loosened his grip on Michael and pushed him away as he turned back to sit down.

"Yeah, walk away," Michael said to Harry's back. "You're a little bitch. Just like her."

Then Harry's fist was sailing across Michael's jaw and Michael was falling back into a table. The bar fell silent again as Michael stretched his jaw and stood up.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that, Potter."

* * *

><p>The elevator opened on the psych department and when Hermione looked up, there was a sign across from the elevator.<p>

_Hermione, follow the petals._

Hermione's eyebrows creased and she looked left and right to see if anyone was around. The corridor was oddly deserted. Then Hermione looked down and saw a trail of rose petals leading from the spot where she stood, down the hall to the left, and then eventually around a corner and out of sight. Because she'd recognized Draco's handwriting on the sign, she smiled and decided to do as she was bid.

She followed the petals down the hall and around the corner. When she walked past the nurse's station, the nurses all looked up and smiled. She smiled back, though looking at them suspiciously. As she turned the corner, she nearly jumped out of her skin as a woman playing a violin walked up next to her and started playing a song. She gave the violinist an incredulous look, and the woman nodded toward the direction of the rose petals as she continued playing. Hermione obliged and walked on as the violinist followed her.

As they turned a second corner, Hermione suddenly realized the song she was playing. She hadn't noticed right off because it was slow and instrumental, but now it was unmistakable. She looked at the woman.

"Hey!" she said, dawning coming over her face. The woman simply smiled and continued to play her instrumental version of "Mama Said" by the Shirelles.

Then Hermione turned another corner and nearly bumped into Dorinda, who was standing there holding a single rose.

"I know I fucked up," she said as she handed Hermione the rose.

"Wha—"

But Hermione was cut off when she saw Dr. Zabini emerge from a door a few feet from them, also holding a rose. He walked up to her and handed her the rose before saying "I know we've only known each other for a little while." He then gestured for her to walk on.

She walked slowly, looking back at Zabini and Dorinda, who were both watching her walk with smiles on their faces.

"I know you might think I'm crazy."

Hermione jumped and turned around. Remus was standing there holding out a rose. She took it, and then she realized what was happening. They were all saying the things that Draco wanted to say. At the end of the hallway, one of her patients was standing there. He had at least five different personalities that Hermione knew of and hadn't been lucid in almost five years. The personalities were harmless, though, and Hermione actually really enjoyed getting to know each of them. She smiled as she took the rose that he held out to her.

"And I am crazy," the patient said.

Hermione laughed. "Oh, Mr. McMurphy, go back to your room," she said as she laughed.

She turned the final corner as she heard Mr. McMurphy saying "I'm not McMurphy. Don't you recognize me? It's me. Tony," over her shoulder. She looked up and saw Draco standing at the end of the hallway holding a bouquet of roses. Once Hermione reached him, he smiled.

"I'm crazy for you," he said quietly.

Hermione looked up at him before she pulled the roses out of his hands, threw all of them—including the ones she had collected—onto the floor so she could wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him hard. She heard him protest for his flowers, but he quickly gave in and kissed her back anyway. Hermione could care less about flowers. She was falling for Draco Malfoy, and she was going to show him just how much.

* * *

><p>Ginny's heart leapt as she looked up when she heard the front door slam.<p>

"Ginny!" she heard Michael scream.

Ginny took a deep breath and pulled out her phone, ready to call the police if necessary, as she walked out of the bedroom she had been packing in.

Michael met her in the hallway, and the back of his hand was crashing against her face before she even knew what was happening. She fell to the ground and then Michael was on top of her. Her phone had flown out of her hands, and now there was no way to call for help.

"Michael, stop, please," she begged as she tried to cover her face. _The baby_, she wanted to say. She could smell the alcohol, and she thought that all she would have to do was kick him off, and then she could run away. If she could just position her body…

Michael was able to grab both of her hands in his, however, and just as Ginny closed her eyes and braced herself for the hit, Michael's weight was suddenly off of her. Ginny opened her eyes and saw a flash of black hair just as Michael was being dragged out of the hallway and back into the living room.

Ginny scrambled to her feet and when she got to the room Harry and Michael were in, all she could do was scream at both of them to stop as they both swung their fists at each other. Eventually, Harry ended up straddling Michael, sending hit after hit to any place on his body that Harry could reach.

"Harry!" Ginny called. Michael was bleeding profusely, and she knew that if she wanted to stop Harry from doing anything that would ruin all of their lives, she had to stop him. She ran forward and grabbed Harry's arms, pulling him off Michael.

Michael stood up quickly and screamed curses at both of them before he ran out of the house. A moment later, Ginny was holding onto Harry tightly as she heard Michael's car start up and peel away.

* * *

><p>Hermione held Draco close as they swayed in time with the music. His arms were around her waist, and her head was resting in the crook of his neck. She could feel his breath in her hair, and she never wanted to let go.<p>

Dinner had been amazing. He had taken her to a new restaurant that had just opened. She couldn't even really remember what she had eaten or what they had even talked about. She'd been on autopilot. And all she could think about was how happy she was, how amazing Draco looked, and how she was, without a doubt, going to break her number one dating rule tonight.

And now here they were, dancing on the restaurant's dance floor as the band played soft blues music. She suddenly knew what the movies and books and TV shows were talking about when they talked about a couple feeling like there was no one else in the room but them. This was the first time she had really understood that feeling as Draco's hand slid down to an almost indecent place and she couldn't even bring herself to mind. In fact, she was thrilled.

She pressed her body closer to his so that their entire bodies were completely pressed against each other. Hermione heard Draco sigh as his hand slipped even lower. Hermione turned her head so she could look up at Draco but still keep her head resting where it was. He looked down at her and she smiled before letting her eyes flutter down to his neck. She pressed her lips to it and smiled when she heard his breath hitch. She then brought her head up so she could kiss his mouth instead, and tonight she didn't even care about PDA as she felt his tongue slip into her mouth and tease her tongue. She moaned quietly and softly and pulled her mouth away from Draco's. Her hand that was resting on the back of his neck gripped him a little tighter as she reached up to put her mouth by his ear.

She nipped at his earlobe before she said, "Take me home, Draco."

He pulled back so he could look at her, and once he understood her meaning, she smiled at the pure lust she saw in his eyes.

It felt like they had blinked and suddenly she was putting her keys in her door with shaking hands as Draco stood behind her, his hands on her hips.

And another blink and they were in her bedroom, ripping each other's clothes off as fast as they could. When she was down to just her black lace bra and underwear, Draco stepped back and marveled at her body before he pushed her over to the bed. His shirt was off, leaving his hard chest and rippling abs exposed for Hermione to admire as he lowered himself over her on the bed. Then his mouth was on hers as his hips pressed down against hers and Hermione was opening her mouth and spreading her legs so that Draco could settle in between them.

His tongue tasted like the mint he'd picked up on their way out of the restaurant. Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist as Draco pushed himself against her. Through his pants, Hermione could feel him hard and rubbing against her. She needed more.

Draco moved his mouth away from Hermione's and she was breathing heavily as his mouth moved to her neck. When they had been kissing earlier today, Draco had discovered a sensitive spot on her neck that had made Hermione cry out in breathy ecstasy. He had just found that spot again, and now in the privacy of her apartment, Hermione didn't hold back her moans. Draco bit and sucked and licked at that sensitive spot until Hermione was moaning breathily and rocking her hips against Draco's. Once again, Draco marveled at the sounds she made, and he was desperate to drive her crazy. He needed more.

Then in one fluid motion, her bra was off and Draco was clamping his mouth around one of her exposed nipples. Hermione gasped and moaned as she continued to rock her hips. Draco heard a sound escape her lips that sounded like his name, and then he moved to give attention to the other breast. When he gave particular suction, Hermione cried out, and there was no mistaking that it was indeed his name tumbling off her lips. He remained there for a bit, his mouth doing incredible things to her breasts as Hermione's moans got louder and her breathing got heavier. Everything he was doing was just enough to keep her aroused while also leaving her desperate for more.

Hermione groaned in disappointment when Draco's mouth moved away from her breasts, but then her stomach rolled with anticipation as he slid further down, trailing kisses along the way. He stopped at her navel, doing wicked things with his tongue, and then he slid off the bed so he was on his knees at the foot of it.

"Draco…" Hermione breathed. He sucked one of her toes briefly, and then she yelped when he yanked her down so that her legs were hanging over his shoulders and his mouth kissed the inside of her thigh before moving on to a more sensitive area.

Hermione's head dropped back and she moaned loudly as she felt his tongue flick her nub. He repeated that motion several more times before he leaned in a bit further and put his entire mouth around the sensitive bundle of nerves, giving her suction. Hermione shrieked and her entire upper body lifted up off the bed.

"Draco," she cried out from her now half-sitting position. One of her hands fisted in his hair as she leaned back on her other elbow. "Don't stop, god, don't stop." She moaned over and over as her head tipped back. Draco looked up at her and smiled without stopping what he was doing. He gripped one of her trembling legs with one hand while he snaked the other underneath so he could insert two fingers into her. She moaned even louder as Draco began to pump in and out of her, his mouth never leaving her.

"I'm so… god, Draco—I'm gonna… yes, right there. Oh god, right there!"

And Draco's hand was pumping faster and Hermione was moaning louder and as her legs stretched out and began to stiffen in front of her as she approached the edge—as she warned him in a high-pitched voice—he stopped.

"Draco!" Hermione shrieked in protest. He grinned as he stood up and pushed her farther back onto the bed.

He needed to be inside her and he needed it now. He didn't even remove his pants. He simply unbuckled them enough to expose his throbbing hardness, pushed her back a bit further and climbed on top of her. And she didn't have much more time to protest him bringing her to the edge and not allowing her to fall over it because not a moment later he was thrusting inside her, eliciting a noise from her that was a mixture between a moan and a grunt.

"Fuck Draco," Hermione moaned. He grunted in response. She was so impossibly slick, and the way she would occasionally clench her muscles around him was sending him to the brink at warp speed. It had been like this ever since yesterday. He had nearly come in his pants while he was kissing her earlier. He just wanted her so badly.

"Harder, baby," Hermione begged him. Draco obliged and pounded harder. Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist to push him deeper, causing both of them to moan in approval.

He watched her closely as her eyes screwed shut and she tipped her head back onto the pillow as she moaned repeatedly and threw her hands above her head so she was pushing against the headboard. And she warned him that she was close again, and Draco could see it on her face, and just when he knew she was there, he grabbed her legs and moved them off so he could pull out of her.

Hermione's eyes flew open as Draco moved off the bed.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she yelled at him. "Are you going to let me come, or what?"

Draco smirked. "Eventually," he said. Then without taking his eyes off of her, he kicked his pants off all the way, and she watched him as she laid on the bed, naked and exposed and all for him. He walked back over the bed and stood in front of her. She glanced down at his hard cock, and he noticed as her eyes went slightly wide before she glanced back up at him.

"Come on, Draco," she said huskily.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice low and gravely.

"You know," Hermione said just as she grabbed his hand and yanked him down onto the bed. "I want you to fuck me," she said as she straddled him and impaled herself on him. Draco groaned and grabbed her hips tightly as she began to move. Moments later, she was coming down hard on him and he was lifting his hips each time, matching her thrust for thrust. And it didn't take long for each of them to be brought to the edge again.

Hermione was trembling as she warned him. "Dra… Draco… Fuck… yes… I'm…"

When Draco knew how close they both were, he flipped them so that Hermione was on her back again and he pulled her legs around him before he braced his arms on either side of her head. He only needed to slam into her a few more times before they were both crying out. Hermione was shaking as her entire body tensed and her moans slowly turned into shaky, heavy breathing.

He collapsed onto her and she held onto him tightly as he felt himself go limp inside her, though he was still throbbing slightly.

Finally, he rolled off of her and onto his back and Hermione moved to put her head on his chest. He wrapped one arm around her while his other hand met hers on his stomach. They stayed like that in silence for a bit, both of them reliving what had just happened. Eventually, Draco laughed. Hermione looked up at him.

"What's so funny?" she asked him.

"I won," he said.

Hermione's eyebrows knitted together. "You won?"

"The bet," he said. "Looks like Blaise owes me two hundred bucks."

Then Hermione punched him hard on the arm, and he laughed as she said, "Too soon."

* * *

><p>"Harry," Ginny gasped out, hands fisting the bed sheets as she approached her climax.<p>

She didn't know how it had gotten to this point. It had all happened so fast. First Michael had come home, then Harry had followed quickly, and Harry had been on top of Michael, swinging his fists at him like a madman. Michael had left the house in a fury, and Harry had driven Ginny back to their house in silence. Every time she tried to talk, he silenced her. He had gotten into the shower once they'd gotten home, and deciding that he needed comfort, Ginny had joined him. And before she could even think, Harry was on his knees in the shower, and Ginny had a leg hiked over his shoulder as the water cascaded over them, and Harry brought her orgasm on fiercely.

Somehow they had made it to the bed. Ginny couldn't remember how.

Ginny moaned loudly then grunted as Harry's hands found her hair and pulled her head back. She was on her knees on their bed as Harry pounded into her from behind. He leaned in and kissed the side of her face before he dropped her head and leaned back again so he could grip her hips and push in deeper while he watched himself sliding in and out. He was gripping her so hard that she knew she would have faint bruises tomorrow, but she didn't care. She begged him for more, faster, harder, and deeper, and suddenly she was catapulting into bliss, and she heard Harry come inside her with a shout as she road out her orgasm. God, with him she could do this all day.

Harry pulled out of her and collapsed onto his back on the bed. He put a hand behind his head and looked off to the side of the room. Ginny moved from all fours so she could face him, sitting next to him with her legs crossed in front of her. She moved a hand forward so she could trail a finger along his arm as she put her other elbow on her leg and put her chin in her hand. His body was glistening, whether from the water of the shower or sweat, Ginny didn't know.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

Harry nodded.

"Because you seemed upset on the way home, and you made sure that you didn't have to look at me while we had sex."

Harry turned his head to look at her. They were both naked, but their eyes stayed locked on each other and didn't stray elsewhere.

After several moments, Harry sighed and said, "I just hated that you had to see me like that."

Ginny frowned. "Like what?"

"I lost my cool with Michael. You shouldn't have seen that."

"Harry, it's fine."

"No, it's not," Harry said, looking away again. "I don't want you to be afraid of me. I don't want you to think I'm violent or that I'll… hurt you… or our baby." That was honestly the last thing Ginny ever thought Harry would do. "I just… Mike… He makes me angry. He makes me lose my mind when I think of all that he did to you."

Ginny reached down to take Harry's hand in both of hers. "Harry," she said. He continued to look at the opposite wall. "Harry, look at me." He closed his eyes and turned his head towards her. When he opened his eyes, her heart skipped a beat at the ferocity in his green orbs. "I know you would never hurt me. I know that."

"You do?"

Ginny laughed. "Of course, Harry, don't be ridiculous. The roughest you get with me is when we're in bed, and usually I have to beg you for it." Harry smiled weakly. Ginny pulled his hand up and kissed his knuckles. "You're perfect," she whispered. "And you're going to be an amazing father." Ginny smiled as she saw tears well in Harry's eyes. He then reached up and pulled her face down to his for a kiss. And soon she was straddling him, and things were getting heated again until they heard a phone ring. It was the ring of Harry's work phone, and they both knew he had to answer it.

"Just hold that thought," Harry said with a smile as Ginny moved off of him so he could get up. He left the room, and Ginny laid on her back and smiled. She moved her hand to her stomach and tried to send positive vibes to her growing child. _Daddy loves us both so much,_ she said in her head. She couldn't wait for the baby to begin growing.

"Ginny."

Harry stood in the doorway with his phone held against his chest. He looked serious, so she tried not to smile at his naked body and the thoughts of what she wanted to do to it once he got back in bed. But the thought of smiling quickly left when she realized just how serious he looked.

"Harry, what is it?"

"We have to go. It's Michael."

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter:<em>

_One last guest appearance to begin wrapping up the story..._


	17. Baggage

****_A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and enjoyed this story so far! In this chapter, we wrap up a lot of loose ends and conclude everything before we move on to the end! And let me just say that the first part of this chapter is one of my favorite scenes from the whole story. I hope you enjoy it (and the rest) as well!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>: **Baggage**

_It was late. All the party guests had gone, but she didn't know it. She'd come to the roof to get away from seeing her ex-boyfriend, Dean, making out with some random chick that he didn't even know. She wouldn't let him or anyone see her tears. She'd been just looking at the stars and trying to clear her head when he'd come up and sat next to her. He'd smiled, and she hadn't really known it yet, but with that smile, she was hooked. Now, hours later, they still sat on the roof talking, neither of them knowing or caring what time it was. He'd asked if she was okay. She'd said she was. He'd asked if she needed a drink. She'd said she'd had enough. He'd asked her name. She'd said it was Ginny. _

"_I'm Mike," he'd said._

_It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that either of them realized just how late—or perhaps early—it was. _

"_I should probably head home," Ginny said, looking at Michael. She was sitting Indian-style with her back against a brick wall, and he was leaned back against the wall as well, his knees bent slightly in front of him. _

"_Yeah," he said, eyes locking on hers. "Me too." She felt her heart skip a beat at the way he was looking at her. After a moment he said, "I'd really like to see you again." _

_She looked down. "I'd like that." Then he reached out and brought his hand under her chin and tilted her head back. She closed her eyes and felt his lips brush against hers. It was a soft kiss—chaste and innocent. _

_And then she felt the wind knock out of her and she doubled over as his fist went slamming into her stomach._

—Wait! No, that was a different memory. Sometimes she forgot that it wasn't like that in the beginning.

"Ginny?"

"What?" Ginny responded quickly, sucking in a breath.

"I asked how you were feeling today."

Ginny looked up at Hermione. "I don't know… Fine I guess."

"Dr. Malfoy tells me that the baby is developing nicely."

Ginny smiled faintly. "It's a boy," she said.

"How—?"

"I know it's too early to tell, but I can just feel it," Ginny said. Then she looked up at Hermione. "Don't you ever get that feeling? Like... like you just know something… And you can't explain it, but you just know." Hermione nodded and Ginny went on. "If only I'd gotten that feeling that night." When Hermione didn't say anything, Ginny looked down at her hands. She knew Hermione was waiting for her to keep talking. "You asked how I'm feeling today… I feel…" Ginny breathed in deeply and paused before she released a shaking breath. Then she looked up at Hermione. "Relieved." Hermione nodded. "Is that awful? I mean, it's hard. I miss him, I do… Well, I miss who he was. But it's not that that makes it hard… It's hard because my husband is dead and I can't bring myself to feel anything but relief, and that makes me think I'm a terrible person... I have to be... right?"

"Ginny—"

"We were married for six years. We lived together for seven. He was the first guy I ever actually loved. We shared so much, and now he's dead. He was driving like a drunk idiot and now he's dead. And I'm not sad, Hermione. That's not right. I mean, I am sad… But I'm not sad that he's dead. I'm sad that I lost the guy who was my lover and my best friend for seven of the eight years that we were a couple. I'm sad that he'll never get the chance to get better." Ginny's voice began to rise. "And I'm sad that my last memory of him is him hitting me in a drunken rage. For that, I'm sad, but the fact that he's dead…" Ginny moved forward to sit on the edge of her chair. She began talking quickly and with her hands. "You know, for over a year I thought that my life would end by Michael's hands. That night… The night I came to the hospital and met you. There were many times that night that I thought I would die. I… I hoped I would… Just so the pain would end. And you know, then the rape, and then Harry, and then the baby. And all I can think of is how I didn't know how we would do it. I-I didn't know how me and the baby would survive with Michael around. I was scared every single day, and I was trying to come up with solutions, but each was more dangerous than the last, but… then he got in a car accident, and suddenly it didn't matter any more. He's dead, and I should be sad because he was my husband, but I'm just relieved… So, yeah… Yeah, that's how I'm feeling today."

As Ginny leaned back into her chair once more, Hermione spoke. "Honestly, Ginny, everything you're feeling is completely natural. It's hard for you because in your mind there are two Michaels, and that makes it hard for you to grieve. Which one do you grieve for? The Michael you fell in love with who… honestly, he died over a year ago… or do you grieve for Michael the abuser? And how can you grieve for a man who raped and almost killed you on several different occasions? Should you feel sad for the old Michael or… not… for the abuser? But really what makes it harder is that _you_ weren't just freed from the terror when Michael died, but your baby was, too. And because you're a mother now, your relief for your child overshadows everything."

"I'm not a mother yet," Ginny said.

"Oh yes you are," Hermione said. "The moment you realized that there was something apart of you that was bigger and more important than yourself, you became a mother." Hermione fell silent as she allowed Ginny to take in all that she had said. Eventually, she spoke again.

"Ginny, you're going to have these mixed feelings for a while. It's only been three weeks since his death. Give yourself time to grieve. Embrace both the sadness and the relief. Both are completely normal, and accepting both into your life will help you through this process. If you don't, you'll only keep on struggling and you'll never be able to heal. Think of Michael in all of his forms. Don't try to suppress any images. I have some exercises we can try."

Ginny agreed, and as she and Hermione got further into their session (they talked much more, and eventually Hermione talked her through the exercises at the end), for the first time in three weeks, Ginny felt like everything would be okay—that _she_ was okay.

* * *

><p>"God," Hermione moaned quietly, trying to keep her voice low. "Oh, god…"<p>

"Yeah?" Draco breathed.

"Draco… Oh, _god_!"

"Shh," Draco said into her ear.

And as her legs wrapped around him more tightly and he held her up against the small strip of wall between two shelves in the supply closet as he pumped in and out of her, Hermione brought her hand to her mouth and bit down on it to keep herself from crying out.

Several hours after her morning session with Ginny, Draco had gotten out of surgery. Hermione hadn't even had a chance to greet him before he was dragging her into the closet, pushing her dress up, and rubbing his hands all over her body as he kissed her mouth, neck, and chest. Hermione had come to notice over the past three weeks of their relationship that Draco had these amazing highs after he was done with surgery. He told her it was "all that adrenaline from saving someone's life," and Hermione was more than willing to accept that explanation. So as he'd yanked her dress up around her waist and she'd untied his scrubs and pulled them down just enough and as fast as she could, she thanked whatever gods there were that Draco was a surgeon, and that he always just happened to be so desperate for her after every surgery.

"Yes," Hermione squeaked breathily as she felt her peak approaching. Her breath was coming out in short, heavy gasps that matched the timing of each of his thrusts, and she could feel his heavy breathing on her neck. Then she felt his hand move between them to massage her with his thumb, and it only took a few circular motions on her sensitive nub to have her body tensing up and her breath catching in her throat as she came. And Draco soon followed, releasing a quiet grunt as he did so.

He stayed inside her and kept holding her up as they both caught their breaths. He always loved to stay inside her after, and although Hermione had never been with a man who did, she realized it was something she had been missing. She craved it and looked forward to it after each time.

When he finally pulled out, he dropped Hermione's legs to the floor and her heels made two clacking noises on the floor as he kissed the tip of her nose. He then stepped back and pulled his pants back up and tied the drawstring of his scrubs. She watched him as she pulled her dress down.

"Good surgery?" she asked him.

He looked up at her and grinned. "Not nearly as good as what happened after." He stepped forward and put a hand on one side of the wall next to her head as he leaned down and brought his lips to hers. She fisted her hands around his scrubs at his waist so she could pull him closer. He growled his approval as he put both hands on either side of her neck and tipped her head back so he could slip his tongue into her mouth and deepen the kiss.

When Hermione felt the front of Draco's pants begin to stiffen again, she broke the kiss.

"Oh, no you don't," she said, trying to push him away. "I don't have time for more."

"Aw, come on, baby," Draco said as he pushed himself closer to her and leaned in so he could suck on her neck.

"No, Draco," she said, trying to pull away but only exposing more of her neck to him in the process. He found that sensitive spot on her neck just above her collarbone that drove her crazy, and she tried to hold back a whimper. "I have patients," she said breathily.

"They can wait," he said huskily into her ear just before he nipped at her earlobe and brought his hands down to the hemline of her dress so he could start to pull it up.

"What about…" she sighed as he pulled her dress up above her hips and let his fingers trail along her thighs as he did so. "Mr. T-Thompson… He's been h-having… Draco… hallucinations."

Draco chuckled as he pushed himself against her again and placed open-mouthed kisses down her neck and to her chest. "He's been having Draco hallucinations? I bet you and him have that in common."

Hermione tried to roll her eyes, but it really only translated into her eyes rolling up in bliss as Draco's kisses moved down along her chest. The feeling of his hot breath trailing all over her chest was more than enough to make her give in, but adding the kisses, and she knew that Mr. Thompson and the rest of her patients would have to wait.

"Draco, I can't," Hermione breathed, even though she knew at this point that there was no stopping it. And because he knew that, too, he slipped a hand into her panties, and she moaned "fuck" as he slipped a finger inside her and began massaging her with his thumb. "Draco…" she meant it to be a sound of protest, but instead it came out as a lustful plea for more. He pulled his hand away, and she tried to grab for his hand to put it back there as she moaned "don't stop." He chuckled again, and she sighed in relief when she felt his thumbs hook into her panties and slide them down. She stepped out of them, and as he made his way down to his knees, Hermione forgot all about Mr. Thompson.

* * *

><p>A bit later, Hermione rounded the corner on the surgical floor and headed to the nurse's station.<p>

"I was told someone needed a consult," Hermione told the nurse sitting there on the phone. The nurse held up a finger for Hermione to wait, and Hermione leaned forward on her elbows at the counter.

"Dr. Granger," she heard him acknowledge her professionally and she tried to hold back a grin. He was standing a few feet from her filling out charts. She had purposely ignored him when she'd walked over.

"Dr. Malfoy," she said without looking at him. She felt him step closer.

"Having a good day?" he asked.

She shrugged. When she looked at him, she caught his gray eyes trailing down her body, and when he looked back up at her, she arched an eyebrow. "Could be better."

His eyes widened with mirth. "Why you—"

"Okay, Dr. Granger," the nurse in front of them said as she put down her phone. Hermione jumped a bit and turned to her. "There's a man downstairs in the lobby claiming that he knows you."

"What?"

"We think he might be one of your patients, but he won't tell us his name so we have no way of knowing. And he's just been screaming that he needs to see Hermione Granger."

"Why didn't you bring him up?"

"He didn't get past the metal detector so we're holding him down there until you come down and say whether you know him or whether he's a patient or what. He had knives on him, doctor…"

"Knives…?" Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "No…" It couldn't possibly be who she thought it was.

A few moments later, Hermione was walking briskly down the hall. When she got to the elevator and it opened for her immediately, she stepped in and then jumped back a bit when Draco slid in quickly as the doors were closing.

"What are you…?"

"You think I'm going to let you go downstairs alone when there's a madman down there with knives saying that he needs to see you. Think again." He didn't crack a smile.

"Aw, Draco," Hermione said as she turned to him and wrapped her arms around him, his side pressed to her front. "You're worried about me?"

"You have no regard for your own safety," he said stiffly. "Most of your patients are lunatics, and I have Remus telling me that you're alone with them all the time."

"You were checking up on me?" she said as she leaned forward and kissed his shoulder.

"Of course I was," he snapped. "You don't check up on yourself."

Hermione laughed. "What does that even mean?" she said as she moved around so that she was facing him and her arms were wrapped around his waist. She leaned up and kissed his jaw. His eyes fluttered a bit but he stayed stiff in her arms.

"It means you don't care if some psychopath kills you, but I do."

Hermione smiled and continued to kiss along his jaw. It really was adorable how concerned he was.

"Hermione," he said in a low, warning tone, though she detected a hint of desire. She hummed and moved her mouth along his neck. When her tongue began to trace the shell of his earlobe, he had a sharp intake of breath, but then grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back so he could look at her. "Hermione," he said sternly. "I'm serious."

"Draco—"

"You have to be more careful."

She looked up at him. And behind his lust-dilated pupils she saw genuine concern and worry etched on his handsome, sharp features.

"I will, Draco," she said seriously.

The elevator door opened and she stood up to peck him on the cheek before she took his hand and led him out of the elevator. She immediately saw a crowd of people standing around a man whose back was to her and who looked to be causing a major scene.

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST LET ME UP TO SEE HER?" he was shouting.

In that moment, Hermione's fears were realized—the fears she'd developed when the nurse had mentioned the knives… she would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Viktor?" she said.

The man whipped around, and when he tried to go to Hermione, two security guards held him back.

"It's okay," she told them. They paused before they let him go, and the man ran to her, crushing her in a hug.

"Oh, baby," he said into her hair. "I missed you." He leaned back and tried to kiss her, but she turned her face so his lips met her cheek. He then looked down and saw that she was still holding Draco's hand. He stepped back and looked at them. "Who's this clown?" he asked. Draco noticed his thick Boston accent.

"This is my boyfriend," Hermione said. Draco looked at her after giving Viktor a long, disgusted look. It was the first time she had used the word. Draco had been hounding her for two weeks about it, but she had always brushed him off. "Draco, this is Viktor. My ex."

* * *

><p>"Viktor, what are you doing here?" Hermione hissed as soon as they stepped outside into the California sun. The guards wouldn't let him any further into the hospital since he wasn't, in fact, a patient, and Hermione needed to talk to him away from the ears of her colleagues, so she'd pulled him outside.<p>

"I came for you, babe," he said.

"Don't call me babe. We broke up six months ago."

"Yeah. I know, but we broke up because you wanted to move out here, and it took me a while, but I knew I had to come fight for you."

"What would possibly make you think that I wanted you to _fight for me_?" Hermione asked with an incredulous look.

"Look, baby, I know things ended weird—"

"Weird—" Hermione stopped abruptly when she realized she'd slipped into her old accent on the word. Viktor had always made her slip back into old habits. "Weird?" she said emphasizing the "r" this time. "You're married! It wasn't weird, I told you to go back to your wife!"

"I know, but… I miss you babe."

Hermione closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was the last thing she'd expected. When she had left Boston four months ago, it really had been partially in order to get away from the man standing in front of her. She thought she would never see him again, and yet here he was.

"You have to go," Hermione said after a moment.

"What?"

"Go back to Boston, Viktor!"

"I came for you—"

"And you're going to leave without me!"

"Baby—"

"Stop!" Hermione shouted. "Look, I didn't break up with you because I was moving here. I broke up with you because… you're you." It was harsh, she knew. But it was what he needed to hear. And she found that she actually meant it. Before she'd met Draco she'd have images of what it would be like when she finally saw him again. She saw herself falling for him all over, but as she stood here in front of this man who was a part of a completely different lifetime, she found that that risk was nowhere in sight. She couldn't even bear being in his presence, let alone being with him again.

"Oh," Viktor said, anger rising. "Oh, is that right?"

"Yes!" Hermione stomped a foot. "I broke up with you because you're mean and angry and controlling and _married_! You show up here with knives and screaming and _embarrassing_ me at my place of work, and you think—Christ, Vik, they thought you were a patient!"

"I had to see you!" He said back, his voice raising. "And things have been bad with me and her for years and you know that. You're coming back to Boston with me. Mass Gen is a good hospital. You can work there."

"Wh…" Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself. Another reason she'd broken up with him—he made her blood boil. "What are you saying?" she said in a low tone. "I'm not leaving, least of all with you. You wasted your time and money coming here."

For a moment he just looked at her. Then he said, "I'm sure they won't be too mad that you're quitting after a couple months. You can just—"

"WHAT AREN'T YOU UNDERSTANDING?" Hermione shouted. "I am not coming back with you." She reached her hands out and shoved him. "EVER!" She turned on her heel and immediately saw nurses and doctors scatter inside the hospital. They had clearly been watching them from the windows. She charged inside. "Don't let him up!" she yelled to the guards as she swept past them. "If he tries to get by, call the cops." Her voice slipped again, and "cops" came out "cawps." She growled and continued charging through. When she walked by Draco, she grabbed his hand and dragged him along with her. He didn't protest.

She dragged him to the elevator and punched the button over and over until the elevator arrived. When they got in, silence fell as Hermione fumed. Then the door opened again, and Hermione dragged him through the psych department and to the nearest empty patient room.

She turned to him and opened her arms. "Well?" she said loudly.

Draco scoffed. "Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"I figured I'd let you just tell me."

Hermione sighed and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Draco leaned against the opposite wall and watched her. "We knew each other in high school," she began. "And… you know, we weren't really in the same crowd."

"Who'd've guessed?" Draco said sarcastically.

Hermione gave him a look before she continued. "Well, when I was in med school, I went to bar in Dorcester where my friends used to hang out. And—"

"I'm sorry," Draco said with a laugh. "A bar where?"

"Dorcester," Hermione said with a tone that sounded like it was the most obvious thing. "It's in Boston."

"No, you didn't say Door-chester before," Draco said. "You said DAW-ches—"

"Oh, just shut up," she said. "He… See, this is why I hate him! I lost my accent years ago, and suddenly he's here and I'm frustrated and frazzled and it's back. Look, we met at the bar, and he told me how great I looked and how I was the only girl from DOOR-chester to ever make anything of herself, and even though that's not true, it made me feel good that someone like him was saying that to me."

"Someone like him?"

"Well…" Hermione sighed. "He was one of the… the cool kids in high school. Everyone wanted to be him or date him, you know."

"That guy?"

"Okay, Vik is a catch for South Boston. He may be ignorant, but…" Hermione threw up her arms. "Okay, look at him! The tattoos… the muscles… I mean, a guy like that with a girl like me! He was the bad boy…" Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. "God I sound dumb… He was just, you know, the one I wasn't supposed to be with. Of course I fell for him. And knowing that all the girls I knew from home wanted him… It felt good to know that he wanted me out of all of them."

"I'm confused…" Draco said.

"About what?"

"'A guy like that with a girl like me?'" Draco repeated. "He's got nothing on you, Hermione."

"All I'm saying is that he's better looking than me."

"Okay," Draco said with a nod. "One—ouch, and two… you're… Hermione, you're a fucking knock-out."

Hermione blushed. "Well one—it's not ouch because I think you're too good looking for me, too—"

"I'm not."

"And two… do you really think that?"

Draco looked at her as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm not even going to answer that. You're making me angry."

"Draco—"

"Hermione, I thought you were beautiful the moment I laid eyes on you. You're beautiful and sexy and smart, and _Vik_, or whatever… He can't even come close to being good enough for you. Shit… I barely am, and I'm a surgeon."

Hermione regarded him for several moments as he stared at her from across the room. Everything he said was always perfect. Sometimes she hated him for it. "Draco—"

"Just finish your story."

There was a long pause. "Well…" Hermione started again. "He didn't tell me when we started dating that he was married. It wasn't until a year into our relationship that I heard it from one of our mutual friends. I mean, I hadn't really kept in touch with a lot of people from high school, so I didn't know… And um, that was when all the problems started. I mean, I was already a year in so I was invested by that point, and I loved him… though only god knows why… He was mean and controlling, but… I don't know, I guess I thought that meant he cared about me… Well, we dated on and off for six years until finally six months ago I broke it off for good. I'd finished my residency and I was ready to start a new life, and I knew that he had no place in that life.

"See, when I came here, I wanted to stay away from you partly because I was so attracted to you initially, and I'd taken the job here partly to get away from dating drama." Hermione shrugged. "But of course, you couldn't take no for an answer so here I am."

Draco walked up to her and trailed a hand along her thigh. "Looks we both had baggage that we were trying to get past."

Hermione laughed lightly. "Yeah, only I thought I'd left all mine behind on the other side of the country."

"So, now what?"

Hermione regarded him for a moment. "Tell me something else I don't know about you. About your past."

Draco shrugged as his finger continued to trail along her thigh. "There isn't much to know. I played baseball for a long time." Then he laughed. "But that was really only because the guys at school made fun of me for playing violin, so I had to prove my masculinity. I was eight."

Hermione laughed. "Something serious," she said.

Draco's smile fell a bit. "Um… Look, Hermione…" From the way his body language shifted, Hermione could tell that Draco was uncomfortable. Since they'd started dating, she had been able to get next to nothing about his past out of him despite how much she tried. But with her past basically popping up right in both their faces, she knew this was the perfect time to get Draco to open up. "You first," he then said.

"I just told you all about Vik!" Hermione said indignantly.

"Well, that's different. You were kind of forced to tell me," Draco responded.

Hermione sighed. Well, if this was what it took to get something out of him, she would do it. "Okay," she began. "I told you that I was skeptical about you because of my relationship with Vik, but there's more to it."

"Okay…" Draco said slowly when Hermione paused.

"Well, initially it was just about Vik, but after the bet…" Hermione sighed again. "I didn't get my first boyfriend until I was 20. I was a junior in college, and it was winter… I'm not sure why the season matters." She smiled and Draco smiled back. "Anyway, I lost my virginity to him about four months after we started dating. I told him I wasn't ready, but he pressured me, and he was my first…everything… so I thought I was just being weird, and that he knew what we were supposed to do. I was, uh… I was in a sorority in college, and he—"

"Wait _you_ were in a _sorority_?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Get over it. I wanted friends, and I'm still close with a lot of them. And I went to Columbia. It's not like we were partying every weekend."

Draco shook his head. "I just can't imagine you…"

"Anyway," Hermione said sternly. "He was in our brother house or whatever—like we had our formals and socials together—so that's how we met. After we had sex for the first time, things got… weird. Well, long story short, it turned out that he and his frat had a pool going about who could get my virginity first and how long it would take."

"Hermione—"

"I had a reputation for being a virgin," Hermione went on. "I mean, after three years in college, I guess it's kind of expected. But he was the underdog in the pool," Hermione said with a short, humorless laugh. "No one expected him to win it all, but he did. And with all the money they got from their rich daddies to put in the pool, Kale probably got to pay back all his student loans with what he won from me." She looked down and was angry to feel tears stinging her eyes. She thought she'd gotten over all this years ago.

"Hermione," Draco said softly. "Hey." He put a hand under her chin and made her look up. He wiped away a tear before it began to fall.

"Don't," she said, swiping his hand away. "You'll only make it worse." Nothing would make her cry harder than being comforted when she was already sad and fragile.

"Okay," he said as he moved his hand back to her knee. But she kept her head up to look at him. "Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful when you cry?"

"Shut up," she said with a laugh. She knew she had to look a mess. Her chest and neck were splotchy and her face was probably red.

He smiled. "I'm serious." He put a hand on her chest and slid it up around her neck and then up to her cheek. She leaned into his touch and her eyes fluttered shut. "God, you really are so beautiful," he said. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He looked a little sad, and yet so contented. "Look… I feel… fucking terrible for what I did to you. But I want you to know that it wasn't because I didn't respect you like those frat guys didn't respect you. It was just because I was too much of an idiot to see how much I really liked you. Blaise saw it," he said as his thumb caressed her cheek. "He saw it, and he knew the only way I would be brave enough to go for you would be if I thought it wasn't my own feelings sending me to you."

"Well, it was worse with him because I actually loved and trusted him. I never even trusted you to begin with. Not as far as I could throw you." She smirked.

"Oh, great, thanks," he said with a laugh as he dropped his hand to her knee again.

"So, what are you going to do about the buffoon?" he asked.

"Not so fast," Hermione said. "I think it's time for you to tell me something."

Draco sighed. He had hoped she'd forgotten about that. "I hoped you'd forget."

Hermione smiled. "I never forget." Then, "Look, if you really don't want to…"

"No…" Draco said. "It's only fair. And plus, I want you to know me. I do."

"Then get on with it," she said as she kicked him gently.

Draco smiled, but Hermione noticed it was strained. He looked down. "When we were first working on Ginny's case together you asked me why I was so worried about sending Ginny up to psych—why I didn't want to give her up as a patient." He paused.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "I figured you needed more trauma hours."

"Hardly," Draco said with a smirk. "No it was because… well… battered women and rape victims and people in Ginny's condition… They just get to me."

"I understand," Hermione said. "It's hard to see for a lot of people—"

"No, it's not just that," Draco said with a quick headshake. "My, uh… My mom… Well, she was raped."

Hermione tried not to show any kind of reaction except to nod in understanding. "I'm sorry, Draco," she said.

"Yeah… Well, I wasn't supposed to know, but I heard my parents fighting over it. My dad… He _blamed_ her… Can you believe that? He said she'd probably done something to suggest she wanted sex, even though the man had literally come out from behind an alley and dragged her in. He held a knife to her throat, so she didn't fight back, but he was convinced that if she really hadn't wanted it, she would have fought back. He, uh… Um… After the attack, she found out she was pregnant… He forced her to get an abortion. She'd wanted more kids… I was seven at the time, and they'd been trying for a while, but after the abortion she said she never wanted to even think about having more kids. He forced her to get an abortion, and shortly after that was when he started hitting her…" Draco paused, and Hermione stayed silent, listening intently. "I remember being eight years old and hiding in the corner as he would kick and slap her.

"Eventually, though, when I got older, I got tired of it. By the time I was fifteen, I was as tall as him, and because I played baseball, I was stronger. So one night when he hit her, I punched him. I knocked him out and we ran." His voice was quiet. "We'd been planning to leave for months. We already had the car packed and everything." Draco's voice shook. "She ended up going back to him. We stayed in hotels all around Washington for about a week and half before she decided to go back. I never did. I finished high school there. I stayed with Blaise and his family for the remainder, and then Blaise and I decided to come down here together for college. I've kept in touch with mom—emails and a few calls—but I haven't talked to my father in over fifteen years."

Draco sighed and looked up at Hermione with a weak smile. "So yeah, the battered women and rape cases get to me. They make me feel like that scared eight year old boy again, just wanting to protect his mother."

"Oh, Draco," Hermione breathed as she opened her legs and pulled him close. When she held him, she could feel that he was shaking, and that only made her hold him tighter. After a long time, he kissed her neck softly and pulled away so he could look at her. He smiled.

"Well, now what?" he asked her for the second time.

Hermione shrugged and smiled back. "Now, Vik goes back to Boston, we know about each other's pasts a little bit more, and we move on together." Draco nodded. "Oh, and we spread it around the hospital that we're together so all your whores will stay away."

"Yeah, and after they find out what happened to the last woman that tried to come onto me when you were around, I'm sure they'll be happy to stay away." Hermione laughed and reached out to take his hand. A brief silence fell as Hermione looked down at their hands while their fingers teased each other.

Draco reached up and rubbed his hands down her arms, and when she looked up at him with those big brown eyes, his hands slid up to cup her face. "I think I'm falling for you, Granger," he said quietly.

Hermione smiled. And right before she leaned in to kiss him, she said, "Likewise, Malfoy."

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter:<em>

_Epilogue._


	18. Ginny, Too

_A/N: Thank you so much to everyone that has read, reviewed, and otherwise enjoyed this story. I had an amazing time writing it and hearing from everybody. Obviously I will have more stories in the future. You can see what's upcoming on my profile. Here is the epilogue to Have Mercy. I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think. Thank you!_

_Also, just want to clear one thing up: one reviewer mentioned that in the last chapter I said Hermione went to Columbia, but in a previous chapter I said she went to Harvard. She went to both! She went to Columbia as an undergraduate, and she went to Harvard for med school. I mentioned a while back that she went to college in New York (at Columbia) and that's where she lost her accent because people made fun of her for it. She then went back to Boston/Cambridge (Harvard) for med school. Sorry for any confusion!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 18: Epilogue: Ginny, Too<strong>

_Seven Months Later_

"Knock knock," Hermione said as she walked into the hospital room. When she entered, she saw Draco standing next to the bed writing in a chart, while Ginny sat on the bed holding her new baby with Harry standing over her shoulder. One arm was wrapped around her as his other hand was playing with the baby's feet as Ginny cooed at him. Remus and Sirius were in the corner, talking in hushed tones and occasionally looking up at the happy couple.

She was so happy to see Sirius and Remus there together. She and Sirius had continued their sessions after he'd left the hospital and gone back to live with Remus, and he hadn't had a relapse in all that time. She liked to think it was her doing, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it had more to do with Remus than anything else. And they were happier than they'd ever been, according to Sirius. She thought back to their last session…

"_Remus wants kids," Sirius said. _

"_Oh?"_

_Sirius laughed. "And you know that's perfect because I've been hounding him to marry me for months. I said no kids without marriage. I may be gay, but that doesn't mean I'm not traditional._

And Ginny… She was still torn about Michael's death even now, but she got closer and closer to acceptance every day. But even though that was still a part of her life, she hadn't been able to mask her joy over the past several months. At all of their sessions after her stomach had finally begun to grow, Ginny was touching her stomach. She had even asked Hermione to feel the baby kick on several occasions. To top it all off, Draco and Hermione had gotten an invitation to Ginny and Harry's wedding about a month ago.

The invitation had been sent to the apartment that she and him and now shared. He had been asking her to move in for six months. At first it had started as just casual hinting—"Oh, you leave all your stuff here," he would say with mock sarcasm when he would pull her clothes out of his drawers. "You might as well just move in."—but then he'd thrown out the subtlety and moved onto the blatant asking (or what she thought was more like begging) four months ago. She'd finally said yes two months ago.

"Oh, Hermione!" Ginny said when she looked up and saw her come in. Everyone took turns greeting her, with Draco greeting her last, leaning in for a quick kiss.

"He's wonderful," Hermione breathed when Harry placed their son Jamie into her arms a few minutes later. She chatted with Remus and Sirius for a bit while Draco, Ginny, and Harry talked. All the while, Hermione never let go of the baby. She simply couldn't get enough of him. It was his smell, mostly. She just wanted to bury her nose into his little neck and never leave.

Finally, she made her way over to Draco, who stepped away from Ginny and Harry so he could talk to Hermione. Hermione was standing off in a corner, looking at Jamie. Draco came up close to her so that his body was touching hers. He reached up and lightly brushed a thumb across the baby's forehead.

"I can't believe you get to do this all day," Hermione said quietly.

"What?"

"Deliver babies. Make miracles happen. I mean, look at them," she nodded toward Harry and Ginny. "They couldn't be happier."

Draco looked at Hermione. "Look at us," he said. She looked up at him. "Isn't this the perfect picture?" He glanced down at the baby, and Hermione understood what he meant. Her heart began to speed up as Draco looked back at her. "I want this."

"Draco…"

"Come on, Hermione," Draco said. "We can do this. I never thought I wanted kids, but when I think about having them with you. I just want… twenty… _fifty_ kids with you."

Hermione just shook her head and looked back down at Jamie. "You just want to have sex with me a bunch of times."

"Hermione," Draco said with mock reproach. "Your language. The baby might hear you… But yes, you're right."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but Draco moved around so that he was standing in front of her. "Give me a baby, Hermione." Hermione looked up at him. Over the past seven or so months of their relationship, Hermione was getting better and better at reading Draco's attitudes and emotions. He was naturally closed off emotionally, but he had proved fairly unsuccessful at hiding from Hermione. And when she looked at him, she knew. He was completely sincere.

"Draco…"

"It doesn't have to be right now," he said quickly. "I just know I love you and I want this with you."

Hermione paused. If she was honest with herself, she couldn't deny that having a family with Draco would be one of the best things that had ever happened to her. It was crazy how much she loved him, and she loved him more every day, which never ceased to amaze her. He was perfect in every way, and she couldn't imagine a better partner and father.

"Well," Hermione said looking back down at the baby. "Aren't you going to make an honest woman out of me first?" When he didn't respond, she sneaked a peak up at him and saw that he was gaping slightly at her.

"Why, Hermione Granger, I do believe you just proposed to me."

When Hermione opened her mouth to respond, the door to Ginny's room opened and a crowd of red-heads came tumbling in. It wasn't long before Jamie was snatched out of her hands, and Hermione was mingling with the Weasley clan. She saw Ron and Draco chatting, which further showed how perfect he was. Hermione and Ron had finally started to become friends a few months earlier—with both Harry and Ginny's coaxing—and Draco had been outrageously jealous at first, but he'd finally come around after some coaxing from Hermione (said coaxing may have included little talking and a lot of Hermione on her back and knees to show him how much she loved him and only him… needless to say, he'd gotten the point.).

"Ginny?" Draco suddenly said, stepping closer to where she held her son. She'd finally gotten him back after he'd been passed around to so many others. He had noticed that she was silent while everyone else had been having conversations. She stared down at her baby, caressing his cheek with her finger. "Ginny?" Draco tried again. After a moment, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"It's 2012, and the president is Kingsley Shacklebolt." Draco smiled as Ginny began to recite the first sentence she'd uttered to him at their very first encounter. Everyone else just looked confused. "I'm at St. Mungo's, and you're Dr. Malfoy… And you just gave me a baby."

"Well," Harry piped up. "I think I had a little to do with it."


	19. An Honest Woman

_A/N: Hey everybody! Okay, I hadn't intended to have a second epilogue, but I couldn't resist. I'm as shocked as you are. I just wanted to have a little bit more closure with the characters and one last Hermione/Draco moment (as I know many of you asked for as well in your reviews). So, without further ado HERE is the final chapter to Have Mercy. Enjoy!_

_Also, I know a lot of you wanted to see the two of them with kids. Well, I don't want to do a sequel because there isn't much more I could do with this particular storyline, but in the near future there just might, maybe, possibly be a one-shot or a two-shot about their lives down the road. Maybe... Who knows. ;) Keep checking back!_

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><p><strong>Epilogue II: An Honest Woman<strong>

_One year and six months later_

It was a beautiful autumn night in Southern California, and Hermione Granger was happy. She was sitting next to Draco Malfoy, who was leaning in and whispering in her ear. He looked incredible. His skin was tanned and his blonde hair was blowing in the wind. He was wearing nice khaki pants and an off-white shirt that was unbuttoned at the top and rippled in the wind the same way his hair did. She couldn't help but reach up and run her hand through his hair before moving her hand down to cover his heart.

He moved closer so he could put a hand on the small of her back and put his mouth closer to her ear. "You look stunning," he said. He'd already told her about a hundred times today how beautiful she looked, but she still hadn't tired of hearing it. She was wearing a long, form-fitting, feather-light, off-white dress with short sleeves and a deep v-neck. The bottom of it was long and trailed slightly behind her when she walked. The white on her dress matched the white of his shirt, and the light, silky material rippled like water when the wind blew against her. Her hair was pulled up into a braided bun a little above the base of her neck while curly wisps blew around her face.

When Draco whispered in her ear, his hot breath sent shivers through her and she leaned in so she could kiss his jaw. She pulled away slightly and they smiled at each other before she had a hand on his thigh and was leaning forward to kiss him. The kiss was long and slow and deep, causing more chills to erupt as all the nerve endings in her body lit on fire. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Hermione thought she heard people cheering and clapping and cat-calling to the two of them, but she hardly noticed as her arms moved to wrap around his neck. He laughed and pulled away before things could go any further.

"Not for the whole world to see Hermy," he said with a grin, referring to her by the name one of her younger cousins had given her and Draco had taken to calling her all week since he'd heard the name. Hermione looked at him with a broad smile, and then looked out at the tables of people who were all staring at the two of them. Some stomped their feet on the wooden floor that had been laid on top of the grass under the tent while others whistled and yelled while others just clapped and smiled. Then Hermione heard the tinkling of a fork against a champagne glass and the people fell silent.

"I think I should probably get these toasts going so we can get this party started and the bride and groom can get to their honeymoon as fast as possible." Draco's best friend, Blaise Zabini, was looking down at the two of them with an enormous smile on his face. Both Draco and Hermione smiled back. The wedding guests laughed.

"Well," Blaise said, holding up a hand. "I'm going to keep this short. First, I'm going to go ahead and take absolute full credit for bringing these two together. I'm sure a few of you have heard about how Draco and Hermione first got together." Draco groaned, while Hermione just laughed with those of the wedding guests that had heard the story. "You see, Draco… well, he's got this ego… to put it kindly. And sometimes it gets him into trouble. He was going on and on about how much Hermione wanted him, and I told him 'Look dude, put your money where your mouth is.' So we made a bet for 200 bucks that he could… well, I'll keep this PG for the audience… I bet him that in a month there was no way he would be able to… get Hermione to _kiss_ him." The guests chuckled and Blaise went on. "Well, as you can see," Blaise said gesturing toward them. "In so many ways… he won." He smiled sincerely at them before turning back to the crowd.

"Now, I didn't make this bet with Draco because I'm… awful… I made the bet because I could tell from the first moment that Draco was hung up on this girl. She came into his life at a time when he was going through a lot internally, and for the first time in years, I started to see glimpses of the Draco that I truly knew. And I thought, 'if she can do this for him, I've got to get him to go after her somehow.' And he didn't see it… He didn't realize how much he needed Hermione, so I made him see it." Blaise smiled. "Yes, I deserve all the credit because I made this fool see how perfect this woman sitting next to him is." Hermione slipped her hand into Draco's and he looked at her and smiled before he looked back up at Blaise. "She brought…" Blaise's voice broke a bit. "Man, I didn't think I would do this." He paused to collect himself, but when he started speaking again, his voice shook. "She brought my brother back to me, and for that…" He sighed. "For that, I owe Hermione Granger everything.

"So here's to the two of them," Blaise said after he took a deep breath and raised his glass. "To Draco, my best friend… my brother… my partner in crime. To Hermione, either the bravest or stupidest woman alive." The guests laughed. "And to Draco _and_ Hermione… I bet you 200 bucks that you couldn't find two people who love each other more." Hermione and Draco joined the rests of the guests who laughed and toasted. After sipping his champagne, Draco leaned over and kissed Hermione, much to the delight of the guests.

The toasts continued for a little while longer. Hermione's maid of honor—her best friend from college and med school, Lavender Brown—made a more serious toast than Blaise that focused on her first interactions with Hermione and Draco as a couple and how she had known Hermione for over a decade but had never seen her as she was when she was with him. Hermione's father talked about the growth of his beautiful daughter and how he never thought he'd meet a man who he thought was good enough for his daughter, but Draco would have to do (the guests had laughed happily, some had cried, but by the time her father had hugged Draco and then kissed his daughter, there wasn't a dry eye in the house). After much talking and coaxing and near begging from Hermione, Draco had extended an invitation to his mother for the wedding. She didn't even try to convince him to invite his father, but she knew he would regret it if his mother wasn't at his second wedding (as she hadn't been at his first). Narcissa Malfoy recited a quick blessing over the meal before they began and also extended her well wishes to the new couple.

When the toasts were finished, Draco and Hermione fell into their own world again as the guests began to drink and eat. Hermione barely ate. She simply found herself watching Draco as he ate and talked to her. She was truly unable to believe how happy she was, and she just had to stare at Draco to make sure everything was real. When he was about halfway through his meal, he turned to her. She was sitting, facing him with one leg crossed over the other and her elbow on the table and her head resting against her fist so she could watch him. He moved so that his legs were on either side of her crossed legs, and he moved close so he could rest his hands on the sides of her thighs.

"I'm gonna give you a baby tonight," he said quietly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?"

Draco smirked. "Well, I'm certainly going to try."

"I bet you will," Hermione said.

"How long do we have to stay here?"

Hermione gaped. "This is _our_ party, you know."

"I don't care. You look fucking incredible in that dress. I just can't wait to get you out of it."

"Oh, stop," she said, trying to conceal a grin. She tried to turn away from him, but he grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her. The guests who were looking on began to cheer wildly, making those who hadn't noticed look up and begin to cheer as well. Then Hermione gasped as Draco pulled her up, and twisted her around so that he could dip her back and lean down into a "movie star kiss." The guests lost their minds. When Draco finally let her up she just rolled her eyes at him.

"Show off," she said.

A bit later, a fork was tinkling against glass again, and Hermione's mother announced that Draco and Hermione would take the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

They had gotten a D.J. for the wedding, but for this song, Hermione had insisted on a violin quartet. And as they began to play the slow, romantic, instrumental version of "Mama Said" by the Shirelles, Draco took her hand and led her to the makeshift hardwood dance floor that was raised slightly above the rest of the wooden floor.

He held her close as her arms went around his neck and she rested her head in the crook of his shoulder the way she had the first time they had ever danced together. Hermione couldn't even think. She didn't think about that first moment she'd seen him outside of Ginny's room. She didn't think about their coffee date. She didn't think about their first kiss or the way he'd held her after McGonagall's surgery. She didn't think about the notes he'd given her, or what he'd done before their first date. She didn't think about the first time they'd danced, or the first time they'd made love. All there was room for in her mind was this moment. And she didn't think—she simply _felt_. She felt her arms around Draco's neck and his around her waist. She felt his heart beating and his breath in her hair. She felt love and joy and happiness that she couldn't begin to put into words. She felt, rather than heard, Draco begin to hum. His chest rumbled against her as he began to hum with the violins.

"I love you," he then whispered.

She pulled back and looked at him. And when she looked up she saw that he had tears in his eyes. "Oh, baby…" she began.

"I just… I'm just so fucking happy. I don't even know what else I can say," Draco said with a short laugh. "I'm so happy, and I can't believe that I'm married to you, and I can't believe how fucking much I love you."

Hermione smiled. "I love you, too." Then she leaned up and put her mouth by his ear. "And I can't wait for you to give me a baby tonight." Draco laughed, and Hermione pulled back so she could kiss him.

As soon as the music began to fade and the D.J. started up with another ballad, Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked to see Harry standing on one side of them and Ginny on the other. As a groomsmen, Harry wore the same khaki pants that Draco wore, but a light baby blue shirt (instead of Draco's off-white) to compliment the pale gold dresses that Ginny and the other bridesmaids wore.

"May we cut in?" Harry asked.

"You'll have to pardon my enormous stomach, Draco," Ginny said. Ginny was eight months pregnant with her and Harry's second child.

"How is my little nephew?" Draco asked as he put one hand in Ginny's and put the other around her waist. When they danced her stomach touched Draco's.

"Not so little," Ginny said with a sigh.

"That's my boy," Draco said as he rubbed her stomach briefly. She swatted him away and he put his hand back on her waist with a chuckle.

"So, Albus is pretty big," Hermione was saying to Harry as they danced.

Harry laughed. "Don't you dare remind Ginny of that," he said. "She blames me for it. Says I was on a weird diet when we got pregnant."

"That's not…"

"Don't try to reason with a pregnant woman, Hermione. Especially one who feels like she's carrying a full grown man in her stomach."

Hermione switched partners again a few minutes later, and she was dancing with her father while Draco was dancing with Dr. Sprout.

"I'm happy for you, Draco," Dr. Sprout said. They made quite the dance pair, as she was at least a foot shorter than Draco.

"Aw, thanks, doc," Draco said with a grin.

"Although I do distinctly recall telling you to leave that poor girl alone," she said.

Draco laughed loudly. "Well, thank god I disobeyed you for once."

"For once!" Dr. Sprout said with mock incredulousness. "If only…"

Finally, after Draco had danced with his mother, his aunts, all of the bridesmaids, and several other family members, and Hermione had danced with the groomsmen, some weird uncles, and all the Weasley men—including Ron, who was now seeing her best friend and maid of honor Lavender (she couldn't be happier for them)—Hermione and Draco were back in each other's arms.

"Can we go home yet?" Draco asked her.

She wanted to swat at him and tell him to shut up, but she had to admit she was getting pretty anxious to be alone with her husband. "Not yet, baby," she said with a smile.

"Oh, so you want to go home, too?" he said with a smirk. "Can't wait to see what your hubbie can do?"

"Just shut up," she said with a smirk of her own as she leaned. She put one hand on the back of his neck to bring him close, and when she breathed in the scent of his coconut hair, Hermione knew that this was the best moment of her life.


End file.
